bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How Can I Feel Safe at Home? Adolescents' Experiences of Family Violence in Ghana
Authors: Addae Evelyn Aboagye , Tang Lynn
Published: July 2021

Despite the implementation of various national legal frameworks and global policies such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to combat violence against young people, family violence against young people is prevalent, especially in WHO African region. Although, research on child maltreatment, specifically, for young children has received considerable attention in Ghana recently, there is little research on adolescents' experiences of such family violence. In this paper, we report the experiences and perceptions of adolescents with respect to family violence they had suffered or witnessed, and analyze the socio-ecological factors and power dynamics at home that contribute to such violence. The study employs a qualitative approach and the data comprise focus group discussion with 56 adolescents from 14 schools in seven districts of Ghana. The findings show that several adolescents in Ghana feel unsafe at home. They experience physical, psychological, and sexual violence as well as exposure to intimate partner violence, exploitation, and neglect. These violent acts were severe, with dire consequences such as permanent impairment and suicide. Perpetrators include all types of carers. The violent acts are often surreptitious and poly-victimization is common. The results also reveal that three main socio-ecological factors perpetuate and legitimize family violence: patriarchy, the normalization of corporal punishment as a method of child discipline, and superstitious beliefs about health. In general, carers demonstrate their superiority and control over the adolescents in an authoritarian manner, thereby, making the adolescents powerless. Implications of the study for policy and practice are discussed.
Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor Combined With Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation in Treatment of Unresponsive Thin Endometrium in Frozen Embryo Transfer Cycles
Authors: Song Linjiang , Zhang Qinxiu , Zhu Shaomi , Shan Xudong
Published: July 2021

Objective: This trial was designed to assess the treatment effects of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on thin endometrium in frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles.

Methods: Ninety-nine patients with previous cancellations of embryo transfer were included, 56 of whom were prospectively treated with intrauterine perfusion of G-CSF in subsequent FET cycles. The selected patients were randomized into the G-CSF perfusion only group and the G-CSF perfusion combined with TEAS group. The other 43 patients were retrospectively included as controls.

Results: Compared to previous cycles, endometrial thickness was statistically significantly increased in the two treatment groups (5.97 ± 0.60, 7.52 ± 0.56, 6.14 ± 0.52, and 7.66 ± 0.44; P = 0.00 and 0.00, respectively). The increases in endometrial thickness suggested that no statistically significant difference was found between the two treatment groups. The G-CSF with TEAS group suggested a higher embryo implantation rate than the G-CSF perfusion only and control groups (33.33 and 29.1% and 33.33 and 17.39%; P = 0.412 and 0.091, respectively). The G-CSF combined with TEAS group demonstrated nominally higher clinical and ongoing pregnancy rates than the G-CSF perfusion-only group and controls, though, the difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusion: G-CSF has a potential role in improving endometrium thickness in patients with thin unresponsive endometrium in FET treatment cycles. In addition, when combined with TEAS, G-CSF perfusion treatment also improves the embryo implantation rate; however, randomized controlled trials are highly demanded to provide high-grade evidence regarding clinical pregnancy rate after G-CSF perfusion treatment.
Using the Judgment Bias Task to Identify Behavioral Indicators of Affective State: Do Eye Wrinkles in Horses Reflect Mood?
Authors: Hintze Sara , Schanz Lisa
Published: July 2021

Identifying and validating behavioral indicators of mood are important for the assessment of animal welfare. Here, we investigated whether horses' eye wrinkle expression in a presumably neutral situation is a measure of mood as assessed in a cognitive judgment bias task (JBT). To this end, we scored pictures of the left and right eyes of 16 stallions for different aspects of eye wrinkle expression and tested the same individuals on a spatial JBT with active trial initiation. Eye wrinkle expressions were assessed by a qualitative assessment, i.e., the overall assessment of how “worried” horses look, the number of wrinkles, and the angle measured at the intersection of lines drawn through the eyeball and the topmost wrinkle. Correlations between the three eye wrinkle measures and the optimism index as a measure of horses' decisions in the JBT were not statistically significant, but with increasing optimism index, horses tended to be scored as looking less worried (qualitative assessment). We discuss our findings from different perspectives and make suggestions for future research, e.g., by calling for experimental induction of mood and thus greater variation within and/or between individuals and by investigating the interplay between shorter-lasting emotional and longer-lasting mood states to further explore the potential use of the JBT to validate eye wrinkles and other facial or body expressions as indicators of mood.
Presumptive Identification of Smooth Brucella Strain Antibodies in Canines
Authors: Helms Alyssa B. , Balogh Orsolya , Franklin-Guild Rebecca , Lahmers Kevin , Caswell Clayton C. , Cecere Julie T.
Published: July 2021

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease caused by a Gram-negative coccobacillus. There are four Brucella strains of zoonotic importance in our domestic species, subdivided by their culture phenotypes: Brucella abortus (B. abortus), B. melitensis, B. suis (smooth strains) and B. canis (rough strain). Dogs can serve as hosts for all four of the zoonotic strains; however, routine serologic testing in dogs has been limited to the identification of B. canis antibodies. The aim of our study was to identify smooth Brucella strain antibodies in canines. We hypothesize that the Brucella abortus Fluorescence Polarization Assay would be successful in identifying smooth Brucella strain antibodies in canines. Ninety-five dogs, including forty-five hog hunting dogs were screened for circulating antibodies to any of the four zoonotic strains of the bacteria utilizing a combination of Canine Brucella Slide Agglutination Test (CBSA), Brucella canis Agar Gel Immunodiffusion II test (AGIDII), Brucella abortus Card Agglutination Test (BCA), and the Brucella abortus Fluorescence Polarization Assay (FPA). Test interpretation results yielded a 0% (0/95) smooth Brucella strain seropositivity rate, with 2% (2/95) of dogs yielding inconclusive rough Brucella strain serology results (0–2% rough strain seropositivity rate). Additionally, a retrospective portion of the study was performed to identify sera containing circulating antibodies to any of the smooth strains of Brucella by testing previously banked canine serum samples stored at Cornell's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory from 2018 to 2019 via Brucella abortus FPA. Of the 769 serum samples tested, 13/769 (1.7%) yielded an inconclusive result, 725/769 (94.2%) were negative, 30/769 (4%) yielded a positive FPA test result, and 1/769 (0.1%) had to be excluded due to insufficient sample remaining to perform the diagnostic test. Of the 30 FPA positive canine serum samples, 97% (29/30) also tested positive on the CBSA test. Additionally, there was a statistically significant (p < 0.0001) likelihood of altered (spayed/neutered) and mixed breed dogs to be FPA positive when compared to intact, purebred dogs, respectively.
Dietary Supplementation of Some Antioxidants as Attenuators of Heat Stress on Chicken Meat Characteristics
Authors: Saracila Mihaela , Panaite Tatiana Dumitra , Mironeasa Silvia , Untea Arabela Elena
Published: July 2021

The study evaluated the effect of dietary chromium and vitamin C, Zinc, and sorrel wood powder supplements on chicken health and the nutritional, textural, and sensorial quality of chicken meat. A total of 120 Cobb 500 chickens (heat stress, 32 °C) were assigned into four treatments: control diet (C) and three test diets including 200 µg/kg diet chromium picolinate and supplemented with: 0.25 g vitamin C(VC)/kg diet (E1), 0.025 g Zn/kg diet (E2), and 10 g creeping wood sorrel powder (CWS)/kg diet (E3). Crude protein concentration increased in the breast meat from the E3 group; crude fat decreased in E1 and E3 compared to those fed the C diet. Dietary combinations of CrPic with VC, Zn, and CWS increased redness and decreased the luminosity parameter of breast meat compared with the C group. Dietary combinations of CrPic with VC and CWS lowered the hardness of breast meat. Significant positive correlation was found between hardness–gumminess (r = 0.891), gumminess–cohesiveness (r = 0.771), cohesiveness–resilience-EE (r = 0.861; r = 0.585), ash-L* (r = 0.426), and a negative one between ash–a* (r = 0.446). In conclusion, a dietary combination of CrPic with VC, Zn, and CWS as antioxidant sources could have a beneficial effect on quality without affecting sensory attributes.
Effect of Cover Crop, Slurry Application with Different Loads and Tire Inflation Pressures on Tire Track Depth, Soil Penetration Resistance and Maize Yield
Authors: Moitzi Gerhard , Sattler Elisabeth , Wagentristl Helmut
Published: July 2021

Agricultural soils can be affected in their ecological functions by in-field traffic of agricultural machinery. A three-factorial research design was carried out in a field experiment to test the effect of slurry tanker filling level (filled, half-filled, empty), tire inflation pressure of the slurry tanker (high: 300 kPa, low: 100 kPa), and ground covering (+cover crop, −cover crop) on tire track and soil penetration resistance (averaged, 0–20 cm, 21–40 cm) after application on the fields in spring. Additionally, the effect on grain yield of the subsequent culture was considered. The total weight of the tractor slurry tanker combination was 16,470 kg (empty), 25,940 kg (half-filled), and 34,620 kg (filled). The low tire inflation pressure of the slurry tanker increased the mean tire–soil contact area by 75% (filled), 38% (half-filled), and 16% (empty tanker). The results obtained show a significant effect of tire inflation pressure and ground covering on the measured parameters. The tire inflation pressure reduction effect on track depth was highest in the filled slurry tanker (−17.8%). With increasing wheel load, the effect of reduced tire inflation pressure on soil penetration resistance (0–20 cm) increased. In the subsoil (21–40 cm), the effect of tire inflation pressure was much lower, indicating that a reduction of tire inflation pressure preserves the upper layers rather than the lower ones. Furthermore, cover crops are linked to a higher degree of soil deformation after traffic with the tractor–slurry combination due to their loosening effect on the topsoil. Tire tracks were 15.0% deeper in the cover crop field than in the field without a cover crop. It is assumed that cover crop mixtures with different types of root mass can influence the mitigation of soil compaction in an ameliorative way.
Response of Reeves’s Pheasants Distribution to Human Infrastructure in the Dabie Mountains over the Last 20 Years
Authors: Tian Shan , Xu Jiliang , Li Jianqiang , Zhang Mingxiang , Wang Yong
Published: July 2021

Human infrastructure development drives habitat loss and fragmentation worldwide. In China, over the last 20 years, rapid infrastructure development impacted the habitats of endangered species. To facilitate conservation efforts, studies of how human infrastructure affects the distribution of Reeves’s pheasant (Syrmaticus reevesii), an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and a nationally protected species in China, are critically needed. We assessed how the distribution of Reeves’s pheasant was impacted by human infrastructure development over the past 20 years in the Dabie Mountains, the main distribution range of the species. We surveyed Reeves’s pheasants by direct sightings and indirect evidence through line transects which were randomly distributed in the Dabie Mountains from 2001 to 2002 and 2018 to 2019. We evaluated the variation of the roads and buildings in these areas in the last 20 years, and then modeled the relationship of the distribution of this pheasant with the road and building data from 2000 and 2017. Human infrastructure became more extensively distributed throughout the Dabie Mountains during the period, with all lands within 10 km of a road or a building. The distribution of Reeves’s pheasants became closer to the buildings and roads and there was a significantly positive relationship between the occurrence of Reeves’s pheasants and the distance to the nearest buildings and roads in 2018–2019. These results suggest that the increased density of buildings and roads in the Dabie Mountains may have caused negative effects on Reeves’s pheasants.
Preference and Motivation Tests for Body Tactile Stimulation in Fish
Authors: Gauy Ana Carolina dos Santos , Bolognesi Marcela Cesar , Martins Guilherme Delgado , Gonçalves-de-Freitas Eliane
Published: July 2021

We tested whether territorial fish (Nile tilapia) perceive body tactile stimulation as a positive or negative resource. Individual male fish were placed for eight days in an aquarium containing a rectangular PVC frame, which was filled with vertical plastic sticks sided with silicone bristles in the middle of the tank. Fish passing this device received a tactile stimulus. The fish then underwent a preference test by choosing between areas half-with and half-without tactile bristles. Then, fish were submitted to a motivation test where they had to pass an aversive stimulus (bright light) to access the device. Fish were, then, paired to settle social rank, which occurs by way of fights (social stressor), and were assigned again to preference and motivation tests. A group without social stress was used as a control. Contrary to our expectations, fish preferred the area without tactile bristles, although subordinate fish reached tactile stimulation more than the dominant one. Social stress did not affect the preference and motivation, suggesting that fish do not perceive tactile stimulation as a stressor reliever. However, as fish did not avoid the stimulation, reached the device spontaneously, and faced an aversive stimulus to access it, we conclude that tactile stimulation is not a negative condition and, therefore, can be used in further studies regarding fish welfare.
The Association of the Potential Risk Factors and Nutrition Elements with Abortion and Calving Rates of Egyptian Buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis)
Authors: Essawi Walaa M. , El-Raghi Ali Ali , Ali Fatma , Nassan Mohamed A. , Neamat-Allah Ahmed N. F. , Hassan Mahmoud A. E.
Published: July 2021

The aim of the present study was to investigate risk factors, serum minerals, and metabolites associated with non-infectious abortion and calving rates of Egyptian buffaloes. Data were obtained from 364 pregnant buffaloes of different ages and parities over 7 years from 2014 to 2020. Body condition score (BCS) was a risk factor regarding abortion and calving; the thinnest buffaloes were more likely to abort and less likely to calving than those with body energy reserves. In comparison with the spring season, aborting probability decreased 49.7% the odds ratio (OR = 0.503), while the chance of calving increased 72.1% (OR = 1.721) during winter. The parity was another significant factor related to abortion and calving rates; multiparous buffaloes were less likely to abort and more likely to calving than primiparous. Dry buffaloes had 88.2% (OR = 0.118) lesser odds of abortion and six times (OR = 6.012) more likely to give birth than those lactating. The sex of the fetus was not a risk factor regarding abortion or calving. Other variables significantly associated with abortion rate were glucose and copper in the sera of aborted buffaloes were significantly higher (p < 0.05), and those of urea, uric acid, total protein, total cholesterol, phosphorus, magnesium and iron were significantly (p < 0.05) lower than a normal pregnancy. In conclusion, the present results emphasize that the identification of the risk factors, serum minerals and metabolites associated with fetus abortion of Egyptian buffalo may provide useful information, which assists to construct suitable preventive measures to raise reproductive performance.
Comparison of Antimicrobial Treatment Incidence Quantification Based on Detailed Field Data on Animal Level with the Standardized Methodology of the European Medicines Agency in Veal Calves, Switzerland, 2016–2018
Authors: Becker Jens , Meylan Mireille
Published: July 2021

Precise quantification of antimicrobial treatment incidence (TI) is crucial for benchmarking. Two widespread methods for treatment incidence quantification were compared for agreement. Field data were obtained from 38 veal farms from 2016 to 2018 (1905 calves, 1864 treatments). Calculation of TIswiss for calves was based on detailed treatment records using pharmacokinetic values from the Swiss Veterinary Medicines Compendium. The method published by the European Medicines Agency was used to calculate TI in defined daily doses (TIDDD). For each calf and treatment, TIswiss and TIDDD were calculated on level of the antimicrobial class, drug, application route, and farm. The quotient (Q) of TIswiss and TIDDD was calculated. Divergence in results between the two methods of ≤25% was arbitrarily set as good agreement. The agreement between TIswiss and TIDDD was mostly good. On class level, good agreement was observed for treatments representing 71.5% of the TIDDD, and 74.5% of the total TIDDD on drug level. Poor agreement was mainly observed for tylosin and sulfadimidine. The agreement was better for parenteral than for oral treatments (81.6% vs. 72.3%). For practically orientated calculation on farm level, good agreement was observed (77.5% of the TIDDD). The TIDDD method showed mostly good agreement, especially for parenteral treatments.
Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and Cytotoxic Activity of Extracts from Some Commercial Apple Cultivars in Two Colorectal and Glioblastoma Human Cell Lines
Authors: Butkeviciute Aurita , Petrikaite Vilma , Jurgaityte Vidmante , Liaudanskas Mindaugas , Janulis Valdimaras
Published: July 2021

Cancer initiation and development are closely related to oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. The aim of this study was to evaluate apple extracts and individual tritepenes antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxic activities. Dry extracts of apple were analyzed by HPLC-PDA. A hyaluronidase inhibition assay was selected to determine the anti-inflammatory effect. Cytotoxic activities against human colon adenocarcinoma cell line (HT-29) and human glioblastoma cell line (U-87) were determined using MTT, cell colony formation, and spheroid growth assays. Radical scavenging and reducing activities were evaluated using DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and CUPRAC assays, respectively. The apple extracts inhibited hyaluronidase from 26.38 ± 4.4% to 35.05 ± 3.8%. The AAW extract possessed the strongest cytotoxic activity (EC50 varied from 113.3 ± 11.11 µg/mL to 119.7 ± 4.0 µg/mL). The AEW extract had four and five times stronger antiradical activity when determined by ABTS and DPPH, and two and eight times stronger reducing activity when evaluated by CUPRAC and FRAP, respectively. Understanding the mechanisms of apple extracts and individual triterpenes as hyaluronidase inhibitors and antioxidants related in cancer development may be a benefit to future study in vivo, as well as cancer prognosis or the development of new, innovative food supplements, which could be used for chronic disease prevention.
Evaluation and Characterization of Alginate Extracted from Brown Seaweed Collected in the Red Sea
Authors: Rashedy Sarah H. , Abd El Hafez Mohamed S. M. , Dar Mahmoud A. , Cotas João , Pereira Leonel
Published: July 2021

Alginates are one of the most important compounds of brown seaweeds. These compounds are employed in the food area, because of their important rheological properties, such as viscosity, gelling, and stabilizing features and as dietary fiber source. In this study, five species of dominant brown seaweeds were collected in the Red Sea (Padina boergesenii, Turbinaria triquetra, Hormophysa cuneiformis, Dictyota ciliolata, and Sargassum aquifolium) so as to characterize the alginate yield and its properties. The analysis demonstrated differences in the alginate yield among the seaweeds. The highest yield of alginate was recorded in the species T. triquetra (22.2 ± 0.56% DW), while the lowest content was observed in H. cuneiformis (13.3 ± 0.52% DW). The viscosity from the alginates varied greatly between the species, whereas the pH varied slightly. The alginate exhibited a moisture content between 6.4 and 13.1%, the ash content ranged between 12.3 and 20% DW, the protein reached values from 0.57 to 1.47% DW, and the lipid concentration varied from 0.3 to 3.5% DW. Thus, the phytochemical analysis demonstrated that the extracted alginates can be safely applied in the food industry. Furthermore, the alginate yield reveals the potential application of these seaweeds as a nutraceutical raw source, which can be exploited by the food industry.
Voice Activation for Low-Resource Languages
Authors: Kolesau Aliaksei , Šešok Dmitrij
Published: July 2021

Voice activation systems are used to find a pre-defined word or phrase in the audio stream. Industry solutions, such as “OK, Google” for Android devices, are trained with millions of samples. In this work, we propose and investigate several ways to train a voice activation system when the in-domain data set is small. We compare self-training exemplar pre-training, fine-tuning a model pre-trained on another domain, joint training on both an out-of-domain high-resource and a target low-resource data set, and unsupervised pre-training. In our experiments, the unsupervised pre-training and the joint-training with a high-resource data set from another domain significantly outperform a strong baseline of fine-tuning a model trained on another data set. We obtain 7–25% relative improvement depending on the model architecture. Additionally, we improve the best test accuracy on the Lithuanian data set from 90.77% to 93.85%.
Distributed Attitude Synchronization for Spacecraft Formation Flying via Event-Triggered Control
Authors: Xie Xiong , Sheng Tao , He Liang
Published: July 2021

The distributed attitude synchronization control problem for spacecraft formation flying subject to limited energy and computational resources is addressed based on event-triggered mechanism. Firstly, a distributed event-driven controller is designed to achieve attitude coordination with the limitation of energy and computing resources. Under the proposed control strategy, the controller is only updated at the event triggering instants, which effectively reduces the update frequency. Subsequently, an event-triggered strategy is developed to further decrease energy consumption and the amount of computation. The proposed event-triggered function only requires the latest state information about its neighbors, implying that the trigger threshold does not need to be calculated continuously. It is shown that the triggering interval between two successive events is strictly positive, showing that the control system has no Zeno phenomenon. Moreover, the update frequency of the proposed controller can be reduced by more than 90% compared to the update frequency of the corresponding time-driven controller with an update frequency of 10 Hz by choosing appropriate control parameters and the control system can still achieve high-precision convergence. Finally, the effectiveness of the constructed control scheme is verified by numerical simulations.
Laser Synthesized Graphene and Its Applications
Authors: Scardaci Vittorio
Published: July 2021

Since graphene was discovered, a great deal of research effort has been devoted to finding more and more effective synthetic routes, stimulated by its astounding properties and manifold promising applications. Over the past decade, laser synthesis has been proposed as a viable synthesis method to reduce graphene oxide to graphene as well as to obtain graphene from other carbonaceous sources such as polymers or other natural materials. This review first proposes to discuss the various conditions under which graphene is obtained from the reduction of graphene oxide or is induced from other materials using laser sources. After that, a wide range of applications proposed for the obtained materials are discussed. Finally, conclusions are drawn and the author’s perspectives are given.
A Review of Fuzzy and Pattern-Based Approaches for Class Imbalance Problems
Authors: Lin Ismael , Loyola-González Octavio , Monroy Raúl , Medina-Pérez Miguel Angel
Published: July 2021

The usage of imbalanced databases is a recurrent problem in real-world data such as medical diagnostic, fraud detection, and pattern recognition. Nevertheless, in class imbalance problems, the classifiers are commonly biased by the class with more objects (majority class) and ignore the class with fewer objects (minority class). There are different ways to solve the class imbalance problem, and there has been a trend towards the usage of patterns and fuzzy approaches due to the favorable results. In this paper, we provide an in-depth review of popular methods for imbalanced databases related to patterns and fuzzy approaches. The reviewed papers include classifiers, data preprocessing, and evaluation metrics. We identify different application domains and describe how the methods are used. Finally, we suggest further research directions according to the analysis of the reviewed papers and the trend of the state of the art.
Improved Generalized Cross-Validation and Unbiased Predictive Risk Estimator Methods Using the RGSVD: Application to Inversion of Potential Field Data
Authors: Fang Yuan , Wang Jun , Meng Xiaohong , Tang Hanhan
Published: July 2021

The inversion of potential field data has widely utilized the generalized cross-validation (GCV) and the unbiased predictive risk estimator (UPRE) methods to determine the regularization parameter. However, these two methods are time-consuming and it is difficult for them to determine the optimal linear search range including the optimal regularization. To solve these problems, this article improves the GCV and UPRE methods using the RGSVD (randomized generalized singular value decomposition) algorithm. The improved methods first use the randomized algorithm to compute an approximate generalized singular value decomposition (GSVD) with less computational time. Then, the optimal linear search range is determined based on the generalized singular values. Finally, the GCV and the UPRE functions are efficiently computed on the basis of the results from the RGSVD algorithm. In this way, the GCV and UPRE methods using the RGSVD algorithm are able to determine the optimal regularization parameter fast and effectively. One comparative test shows the effectiveness and efficiency of the GCV and the UPRE methods using the RGSVD algorithm.
Intelligent Ventilation Systems in Mining Engineering: Is ZigBee WSN Technology the Best Choice?
Authors: Nardo Mario , Yu Haoxuan
Published: July 2021

With the continuous development and progress of the mining industry, various technologies in mining engineering have gradually developed towards the intelligent stage, and the ventilation system is no exception. Since ancient times, mine ventilation has been a necessary part of mining engineering, and so the optimization of mine ventilation undoubtedly plays a great role in mining production. This two-part opinion paper briefly introduces the development of the intelligent ventilation in mining engineering and serves as a guide to the Tossing out a brick to get a jade gem, with implications for both the development and the future of the underground mine ventilation systems. Finally, in the second part of the paper, we explain why we think ZigBee WSN technology is the best choice in intelligent ventilation systems in underground mines at the present stage.
The Molecular Landscape Influencing Prognoses of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Liu Chao-Lien , Yuan Ray-Hwang , Mao Tsui-Lien
Published: July 2021

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is one of the major increasing lethal malignancies of the gynecological tract, mostly due to delayed diagnosis and chemoresistance, as well as its very heterogeneous genetic makeup. Application of high-throughput molecular technologies, gene expression microarrays, and powerful preclinical models has provided a deeper understanding of the molecular characteristics of EOC. Therefore, molecular markers have become a potent tool in EOC management, including prediction of aggressiveness, prognosis, and recurrence, and identification of novel therapeutic targets. In addition, biomarkers derived from genomic/epigenomic alterations (e.g., gene mutations, copy number aberrations, and DNA methylation) enable targeted treatment of affected signaling pathways in advanced EOC, thereby improving the effectiveness of traditional treatments. This review outlines the molecular landscape and discusses the impacts of biomarkers on the detection, diagnosis, surveillance, and therapeutic targets of EOC. These findings focus on the necessity to translate these potential biomarkers into clinical practice.
Classical Xanthinuria in Nine Israeli Families and Two Isolated Cases from Germany: Molecular, Biochemical and Population Genetics Aspects
Authors: Peretz Hava , Lagziel Ayala , Bittner Florian , Kabha Mustafa , Shtauber-Naamati Meirav , Zhuravel Vicki , Usher Sali , Rump Steffen , Wollers Silke , Bork Bettina , Mandel Hanna , Falik-Zaccai Tzipora , Kalfon Limor , Graessler Juergen , Zeharia Avraham , Heib Nasser , Shalev Hannah , Landau Daniel , Levartovsky David
Published: July 2021

Classical xanthinuria is a rare autosomal recessive metabolic disorder caused by variants in the XDH (type I) or MOCOS (type II) genes. Thirteen Israeli kindred (five Jewish and eight Arab) and two isolated cases from Germany were studied between the years 1997 and 2013. Four and a branch of a fifth of these families were previously described. Here, we reported the demographic, clinical, molecular and biochemical characterizations of the remaining cases. Seven out of 20 affected individuals (35%) presented with xanthinuria-related symptoms of varied severity. Among the 10 distinct variants identified, six were novel: c.449G>T (p.(Cys150Phe)), c.1434G>A (p.(Trp478*)), c.1871C>G (p.(Ser624*)) and c.913del (p.(Leu305fs*1)) in the XDH gene and c.1046C>T (p.(Thr349Ileu)) and c.1771C>T (p.(Pro591Ser)) in the MOCOS gene. Heterologous protein expression studies revealed that the p.Cys150Phe variant within the Fe/S-I cluster-binding site impairs XDH biogenesis, the p.Thr349Ileu variant in the NifS-like domain of MOCOS affects protein stability and cysteine desulfurase activity, while the p.Pro591Ser and a previously described p.Arg776Cys variant in the C-terminal domain affect Molybdenum cofactor binding. Based on the results of haplotype analyses and historical genealogy findings, the potential dispersion of the identified variants is discussed. As far as we are aware, this is the largest cohort of xanthinuria cases described so far, substantially expanding the repertoire of pathogenic variants, characterizing structurally and functionally essential amino acid residues in the XDH and MOCOS proteins and addressing the population genetic aspects of classical xanthinuria.
Soluble Expression of Fc-Fused T Cell Receptors Allows Yielding Novel Bispecific T Cell Engagers
Authors: Zhao Wen-Bin , Shen Ying , Liu Wen-Hui , Li Yi-Ming , Jin Shi-Jie , Xu Ying-Chun , Pan Li-Qiang , Zhou Zhan , Chen Shu-Qing
Published: July 2021

The specific recognition of T cell receptors (TCR) and peptides presented by human leukocyte antigens (pHLAs) is the core step for T cell triggering to execute anti-tumor activity. However, TCR assembly and soluble expression are challenging, which precludes the broad use of TCR in tumor therapy. Herein, we used heterodimeric Fc to assist in the correct assembly of TCRs to achieve the stable and soluble expression of several TCRs in mammalian cells, and the soluble TCRs enable us to yield novel bispecific T cell engagers (TCR/aCD3) through pairing them with an anti-CD3 antibody. The NY-ESO-1/LAGE-1 targeted TCR/aCD3 (NY-TCR/aCD3) that we generated can redirect naïve T cells to specific lysis antigen-positive tumor cells, but the potency of the NY-TCR/aCD3 was disappointing. Furthermore, we found that the activation of T cells by NY-TCR/aCD3 was mild and unabiding, and the activity of NY-TCR/aCD3 could be significantly improved when we replaced naïve T cells with pre-activated T cells. Therefore, we employed the robust T cell activation ability of staphylococcal enterotoxin C2 (SEC2) to optimize the activity of NY-TCR/aCD3. Moreover, we found that the secretions of SEC2-activated T cells can promote HLA-I expression and thus increase target levels, which may further contribute to improving the activity of NY-TCR/aCD3. Our study described novel strategies for soluble TCR expression, and the optimization of the generation and potency of TCR/aCD3 provided a representative for us to fully exploit TCRs for the precision targeting of cancers.
Identification of Neurodegenerative Diseases Based on Vertical Ground Reaction Force Classification Using Time–Frequency Spectrogram and Deep Learning Neural Network Features
Authors: Setiawan Febryan , Lin Che-Wei
Published: July 2021

A novel identification algorithm using a deep learning approach was developed in this study to classify neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) based on the vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) signal. The irregularity of NDD vGRF signals caused by gait abnormalities can indicate different force pattern variations compared to a healthy control (HC). The main purpose of this research is to help physicians in the early detection of NDDs, efficient treatment planning, and monitoring of disease progression. The detection algorithm comprises a preprocessing process, a feature transformation process, and a classification process. In the preprocessing process, the five-minute vertical ground reaction force signal was divided into 10, 30, and 60 s successive time windows. In the feature transformation process, the time–domain vGRF signal was modified into a time–frequency spectrogram using a continuous wavelet transform (CWT). Then, feature enhancement with principal component analysis (PCA) was utilized. Finally, a convolutional neural network, as a deep learning classifier, was employed in the classification process of the proposed detection algorithm and evaluated using leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) and k-fold cross-validation (k-fold CV, k = 5). The proposed detection algorithm can effectively differentiate gait patterns based on a time–frequency spectrogram of a vGRF signal between HC subjects and patients with neurodegenerative diseases.
Absorption and Strength Properties of Short Carbon Fiber Reinforced Mortar Composite
Authors: Safiuddin Md. , Abdel-Sayed George , Hearn Nataliya
Published: July 2021

This paper presents the water absorption and strength properties of short carbon fiber reinforced mortar (CFRM) composite. Four CFRM composites with 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4% short pitch-based carbon fibers were produced in this study. Normal Portland cement mortar (NCPM) was also prepared for use as the control mortar. The freshly mixed mortar composites were tested for workability, wet density, and entrapped air content. In addition, the hardened mortar composites were examined for compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, flexural strength, and water absorption at the ages of 7 and 28 days. The effects of different carbon fiber contents on the tested properties were observed. Test results showed that the incorporation of carbon fibers decreased the workability and wet density, but increased the entrapped air content in mortar composite. Most interestingly, the compressive strength of CFRM composite increased up to 3% carbon fiber content and then it declined significantly for 4% fiber content, depending on the workability and compaction of the mortar. In contrast, the splitting tensile strength and flexural strength of the CFRM composite increased for all fiber contents due to the greater cracking resistance and improved bond strength of the carbon fibers in the mortar. The presence of short pitch-based carbon fibers significantly strengthened the mortar by bridging the microcracks, resisting the propagation of these minute cracks, and impeding the growth of macrocracks. Furthermore, the water absorption of CFRM composite decreased up to 3% carbon fiber content and then it increased substantially for 4% fiber content, depending on the entrapped air content of the mortar. The overall test results suggest that the mortar with 3% carbon fibers is the optimum CFRM composite based on the tested properties.
The Lipid Composition of Serum-Derived Small Extracellular Vesicles in Participants of a Lung Cancer Screening Study
Authors: Smolarz Mateusz , Kurczyk Agata , Jelonek Karol , Żyła Joanna , Mielańczyk Łukasz , Sitkiewicz Magdalena , Pietrowska Monika , Polańska Joanna , Rzyman Witold , Widłak Piotr
Published: July 2021

Molecular components of exosomes and other classes of small extracellular vesicles (sEV) present in human biofluids are potential biomarkers with possible applicability in the early detection of lung cancer. Here, we compared the lipid profiles of serum-derived sEV from three groups of lung cancer screening participants: individuals without pulmonary alterations, individuals with benign lung nodules, and patients with screening-detected lung cancer (81 individuals in each group). Extracellular vesicles and particles were purified from serum by size-exclusion chromatography, and a fraction enriched in sEV and depleted of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) was selected (similar sized vesicles was observed in all groups: 70–100 nm). The targeted mass-spectrometry-based approach enabled the detection of 352 lipids, including 201 compounds used in quantitative analyses. A few compounds, exemplified by Cer(42:1), i.e., a ceramide whose increased plasma/serum level was reported in different pathological conditions, were upregulated in vesicles from cancer patients. On the other hand, the contribution of phosphatidylcholines with poly-unsaturated acyl chains was reduced in vesicles from lung cancer patients. Cancer-related features detected in serum-derived sEV were different than those of the corresponding whole serum. A high heterogeneity of lipid profiles of sEV was observed, which markedly impaired the performance of classification models based on specific compounds (the three-state classifiers showed an average AUC = 0.65 and 0.58 in the training and test subsets, respectively).
Poor Response to Checkpoint Immunotherapy in Uveal Melanoma Highlights the Persistent Need for Innovative Regional Therapy Approaches to Manage Liver Metastases
Authors: Szeligo Brett M. , Ivey Abby D. , Boone Brian A.
Published: July 2021

Uveal melanoma is a cancer that develops from melanocytes in the posterior uveal tract. Metastatic uveal melanoma is an extremely rare disease that has a poor long-term prognosis, limited treatment options and a strong predilection for liver metastasis. Median overall survival has been reported to be 6 months and 1 year mortality of 80%. Traditional chemotherapy used in cutaneous melanoma is ineffective in uveal cases. Surgical resection and ablation is the preferred therapy for liver metastasis but is often not feasible due to extent of disease. In this review, we will explore treatment options for liver metastases from uveal melanoma, with a focus on isolated hepatic perfusion (IHP). IHP offers an aggressive regional therapy approach that can be used in bulky unresectable disease and allows high-dose chemotherapy with melphalan to be delivered directly to the liver without systemic effects. Long-term median overall survival has been reported to be as high as 27 months. We will also highlight the poor responses associated with checkpoint inhibitors, including an overview of the biological rationale driving this lack of immunotherapy effect for this disease. The persistent failure of traditional treatments and immunotherapy suggest an ongoing need for regional surgical approaches such as IHP in this disease.
Energy Transport of Photocatalytic Carbon Dioxide Reduction in Optical Fiber Honeycomb Reactor Coupled with Trough Concentrated Solar Power
Authors: Tong Kai , Chen Lei , Yang Lijun , Du Xiaoze , Yang Yongping
Published: July 2021

Thanks to the high photon efficiency and reaction density, the optical fiber monolith reactor (OFMR) for InTaO4-based CO2 photoreduction is regarded as a promising photoreactor. In this work, the OFMR coupling with parabolic trough concentrator (PTC) is proposed to enlarge the daylighting area by several times without increasing the cost of photocatalysts. Based on the Monte Carlo ray-tracing (MCRT) approach and the finite volume method (FVM), a computational model of the reaction module considering the light, heat, and mass transfer is developed to optimize the fiber honeycomb reactor coupled with the PTC. As a result, the volume-averaged concentration of production reaches 1.85 × 10−4 mol·m−3, which is much higher than the traditional OFMR with the production concentration of 9.61 × 10−6 mol·m−3 under the same condition. The optimized structure of the monolith for better photocatalytic performance is obtained. It shows that the diameters of gas channels ranging from 1.5 to 2 mm are beneficial to the reaction efficiency. Finally, the results suggested that the even number of the gas channel should be avoided due to the pseudo-steady zone in the middle of the monolith. The reaction element with the high serial number along the flow direction has the reduced reaction density and endangers the organic optical fibers especially when the serial number exceeds 5.
How Influenza Virus Uses Host Cell Pathways during Uncoating
Authors: Moreira Etori Aguiar , Yamauchi Yohei , Matthias Patrick
Published: July 2021

Influenza is a zoonotic respiratory disease of major public health interest due to its pandemic potential, and a threat to animals and the human population. The influenza A virus genome consists of eight single-stranded RNA segments sequestered within a protein capsid and a lipid bilayer envelope. During host cell entry, cellular cues contribute to viral conformational changes that promote critical events such as fusion with late endosomes, capsid uncoating and viral genome release into the cytosol. In this focused review, we concisely describe the virus infection cycle and highlight the recent findings of host cell pathways and cytosolic proteins that assist influenza uncoating during host cell entry.
Analysis of Different Complex Multilayer PACVD Coatings on Nanostructured WC-Co Cemented Carbide
Authors: Ćorić Danko , Šnajdar Musa Mateja , Sakoman Matija , Alar Željko
Published: July 2021

The development of cemented carbides nowadays is aimed at the application and sintering of ultrafine and nano-sized powders for the production of a variety of components where excellent mechanical properties and high wear resistance are required for use in high temperature and corrosive environment conditions. The most efficient way of increasing the tribological properties along with achieving high corrosion resistance is coating. Using surface processes (modification and/or coating), it is possible to form a surface layer/base material system with properties that can meet modern expectations with acceptable production costs. Three coating systems were developed on WC cemented carbides substrate with the addition of 10 wt.% Co using the plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition (PACVD) method: single-layer TiN coating, harder multilayer gradient TiCN coating composed of TiN and TiCN layers, and the hardest multilayer TiBN coating composed of TiN and TiB2. Physical and mechanical properties of coated and uncoated samples were investigated by means of quantitative depth profile (QDP) analysis, nanoindentation, surface layer characterization (XRD analysis), and coating adhesion evaluation using the scratch test. The results confirm the possibility of obtaining nanostructured cemented carbides of homogeneous structure without structural defects such as eta phase or unbound carbon providing increase in hardness and fracture toughness. The lowest adhesion was detected for the single-layer TiN coating, while coatings with a complex architecture (TiCN, TiBN) showed improved adhesion.
Drone Application for Spraying Disinfection Liquid Fighting against the COVID-19 Pandemic—Examining Drone-Related Parameters Influencing Effectiveness
Authors: Restás Ágoston , Szalkai István , Óvári Gyula
Published: July 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused very serious problems almost to the whole world, so every opportunity must be considered to improve the situation. One such improvement strategy is decontamination carried out from the air. This technique can be considered for surface clearance of larger areas; hence, there is the need to investigate its effectiveness regarding the pandemic. There are many examples of the use of drones for disinfection to improve epidemic situations, but good practices, as well as factors influencing effectiveness, have not yet been identified. In the case of using drones for disinfection during a pandemic, the adapted use of agricultural drones is clear from reports. In this paper, the authors performed calculations with different values of flight speed (10 to 50 km/h), flight altitude (1 to 5 m), and flow rate (1 to 5 L/min) to determine the possible amount of disinfectant fluid per unit area. The results show that by changing the parameters, the amount of disinfectant per unit area can be given within quite wide limits (30–0.24 g/m2). Although the results raise many new questions, they can help to identify adequate flight parameters depending on different disinfectant liquids.
Improved Negative Bias Stress Stability of Sol–Gel-Processed Li-Doped SnO2 Thin-Film Transistors
Authors: Kim Hyeon-Joong , Kim Do-Won , Lee Won-Yong , Lee Sin-Hyung , Bae Jin-Hyuk , Kang In-Man , Jang Jaewon
Published: July 2021

In this study, sol–gel-processed Li-doped SnO2-based thin-film transistors (TFTs) were fabricated on SiO2/p+ Si substrates. The influence of Li dopant (wt%) on the structural, chemical, optical, and electrical characteristics was investigated. By adding 0.5 wt% Li dopant, the oxygen vacancy formation process was successfully suppressed. Its smaller ionic size and strong bonding strength made it possible for Li to work as an oxygen vacancy suppressor. The fabricated TFTs consisting of 0.5 wt% Li-doped SnO2 semiconductor films delivered the field-effect mobility in a 2.0 cm2/Vs saturation regime and Ion/Ioff value of 1 × 108 and showed enhancement mode operation. The decreased oxygen vacancy inside SnO2 TFTs with 0.5 wt% Li dopant improved the negative bias stability of TFTs.