bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Post-Synthesis Strategies to Prepare Mesostructured and Hierarchical Silicates for Liquid Phase Catalytic Epoxidation
Authors: Gomes Diana M. , Neves Patrícia , Antunes Margarida M. , Fernandes António J. S. , Pillinger Martyn , Valente Anabela A.
Published: November 2022

Olefin epoxidation is an important transformation for the chemical valorization of olefins, which may derive from renewable sources or domestic/industrial waste. Different post-synthesis strategies were employed to introduce molybdenum species into mesostructured and hierarchical micro-mesoporous catalysts of the type TUD-1 and BEA, respectively, to confer epoxidation activity for the conversion of relatively bulky olefins (e.g., biobased methyl oleate, DL-limonene) to epoxide products, using tert-butyl hydroperoxide as an oxidant. The influences of (i) the type of metal precursor, (ii) type of post-synthesis impregnation method, (iii) type of support and (iv) top-down versus bottom-up synthesis methodologies were studied to achieve superior catalytic performances. Higher epoxidation activity was achieved for a material prepared via (post-synthesis) incipient wetness impregnation of MoO2(acac)2 (acac = acetylacetonate) on (pre-treated) siliceous TUD-1 and calcination; for example, methyl oleate was converted to the corresponding epoxide with 100% selectivity at 89% conversion (70 °C). Catalytic and solid-state characterization studies were conducted to shed light on material stability phenomena.
Treatment of Oil Sands’ Mature Fine Tailings Using Advanced Wet Air Oxidation (WAO) and Wet Air Peroxide Oxidation (WAPO)
Authors: Khan Muhammad Faizan , Elnakar Haitham
Published: November 2022

Mature Fine Tailings (MFT) generated from oil sands processing represent a growing environmental issue, as settling of these tailings’ emulsion can take decades, increasing the risk of the toxic material’s leaching if left untreated. This study uses advanced wet air oxidation (WAO) and wet air peroxide oxidation (WAPO) to break down the MFT emulsions for faster settling. Three oxidation time intervals (5, 15, and 30 min) were investigated using compressed air and hydrogen peroxide in a pressurized vessel of 3.1–3.4 MPa internal pressure and at 200 °C temperature. The results showed that the WAO process was able to break the MFT emulsion, release trapped water, and recover residual bitumen. The WAPO process was much faster in breaking the emulsion; however, the presence of extra oxidants also resulted in the degradation of the residual bitumen. The 5 min oxidation time interval was found to be sufficient in breaking emulsions, separating water from soil particles, and recovering residual bitumen under the tested conditions. The oxidation process proved to be efficient by degrading all inorganic carbon, whereas 70% of the dissolved organic carbon in the recovered water after oxidation comprised only low molecular weight biodegradable hydrocarbons. Therefore, the WAO process was capable of breaking the MFT emulsions and allowing a faster settling of these tailings, with the added benefit of recovering residual bitumen.
Current Challenges and Perspectives for the Catalytic Pyrolysis of Lignocellulosic Biomass to High-Value Products
Authors: Wang Wenli , Gu Yaxin , Zhou Chengfen , Hu Changwei
Published: November 2022

Lignocellulosic biomass is an excellent alternative of fossil source because it is low-cost, plentiful and environmentally friendly, and it can be transformed into biogas, bio-oil and biochar through pyrolysis; thereby, the three types of pyrolytic products can be upgraded or improved to satisfy the standard of biofuel, chemicals and energy materials for industries. The bio-oil derived from direct pyrolysis shows some disadvantages: high contents of oxygenates, water and acids, easy-aging and so forth, which restrict the large-scale application and commercialization of bio-oil. Catalytic pyrolysis favors the refinement of bio-oil through deoxygenation, cracking, decarboxylation, decarbonylation reactions and so on, which could occur on the specified reaction sites. Therefore, the catalytic pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass is a promising approach for the production of high quality and renewable biofuels. This review gives information about the factors which might determine the catalytic pyrolysis output, including the properties of biomass, operational parameters of catalytic pyrolysis and different types of pyrolysis equipment. Catalysts used in recent research studies aiming to explore the catalytic pyrolysis conversion of biomass to high quality bio-oil or chemicals are discussed, and the current challenges and future perspectives for biomass catalytic pyrolysis are highlighted for further comprehension.
Design of Bimetallic PtFe-Based Reduced Graphene Oxide as Efficient Catalyst for Oxidation Reduction Reaction
Authors: Sravani Bathinapatla , Manohara Reddy Yenugu Veera , Park Jong Pil , Venu Manthrapudi , Sarma Loka Subramanyam
Published: November 2022

Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a very important reaction that occurs at the cathodic side in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The high cost associated with frequently used Pt-based electrocatalysts for ORR limits the commercialization of PEMFCs. Through bifunctional and electronic effects, theoretical calculations have proved that alloying Pt with a suitable transition metal is likely to improve ORR mass activity when compared to Pt-alone systems. Herein, we demonstrate the preparation of bimetallic Pt–Fe nanoparticles supported on reduced graphene oxide sheets (RGOs) via a simple surfactant-free chemical reduction method. The present method produces PtFe/RGO catalyst particles with a 3.2 nm diameter without agglomeration. PtFe/RGO showed a noticeable positive half-wave potential (0.503 V vs. Ag/AgCl) compared with a commercial Pt/C catalyst (0.352 V vs. Ag/AgCl) with minimal Pt-loading on a glassy carbon electrode. Further, PtFe/RGO showed a higher ORR mass activity of 4.85 mA/cm2-geo compared to the commercial Pt/C (3.60 mA/cm2-geo). This work paves the way for designing noble−transition metal alloy electrocatalysts on RGO supports as high-performance electrocatalysts for ORR application.
A Continuous Fixed Bed Adsorption Process for Fez City Urban Wastewater Using Almond Shell Powder: Experimental and Optimization Study
Authors: Elmansouri Ibtissame , Lahkimi Amal , Kara Mohammed , Hmamou Anouar , Mouhri Ghita El , Assouguem Amine , Chaouch Mehdi , Alrefaei Abdulwahed Fahad , Kamel Mohamed , Aleya Lotfi , Abdel-Daim Mohamed M. , Eloutassi Noureddine , Adachi Abderrazzak , Bekkari Hicham
Published: November 2022

This study deals with the valorization of a biomaterial, almond shell, for the treatment of urban effluents of the city of Fez by a fixed bed column adsorption process. A parametric analysis of the process is carried out with conditions such as particle size, pH and height of the adsorbent bed to evaluate the optimal removal percent and obtain an optimal removal capacity of the adsorbent load. Characterization of the adsorbent prior to continuous adsorption was carried out by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy. The adsorption treatment seems to be influenced by certain parameters, such as the particle size of the biomaterial used, the height of the adsorption bed and the pH. The results suggest that this biomaterial can be used as a less expensive, available, biodegradable and very effective adsorbent to eliminate the load of urban waters on a small scale and why not on a large scale to replace chemicals in the treatment and to recover waste such as almond shell. The parameters measured reached maximum values varying between 82% for COD, 79% for EC and 71% for nitrite under well-defined operating conditions, with a particle size of 0.063 mm, a height column height of 7 cm and a pH of 6.5.
The Efficacy of HGF/VEGF Gene Therapy for Limb Ischemia in Mice with Impaired Glucose Tolerance: Shift from Angiogenesis to Axonal Growth and Oxidative Potential in Skeletal Muscle
Authors: Stafeev I Iurii S. , Boldyreva Maria A. , Michurina Svetlana S. , Agareva Margarita Yu. , Radnaeva Arina V. , Menshikov Mikhail Yu. , Hu Yu-Chen , Makarevich Pavel I. , Parfyonova Yelena V.
Published: November 2022

Background: Combined non-viral gene therapy (GT) of ischemia and cardiovascular disease is a promising tool for potential clinical translation. In previous studies our group has developed combined gene therapy by vascular endothelial growth factor 165 (VEGF165) + hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). Our recent works have demonstrated that a bicistronic pDNA that carries both human HGF and VEGF165 coding sequences has a potential for clinical application in peripheral artery disease (PAD). The present study aimed to test HGF/VEGF combined plasmid efficacy in ischemic skeletal muscle comorbid with predominant complications of PAD-impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: Male C57BL mice were housed on low-fat (LFD) or high-fat diet (HFD) for 10 weeks and metabolic parameters including FBG level, ITT, and GTT were evaluated. Hindlimb ischemia induction and plasmid administration were performed at 10 weeks with 3 weeks for post-surgical follow-up. Limb blood flow was assessed by laser Doppler scanning at 7, 14, and 21 days after ischemia induction. The necrotic area of m.tibialis anterior, macrophage infiltration, angio- and neuritogenesis were evaluated in tissue sections. The mitochondrial status of skeletal muscle (total mitochondria content, ETC proteins content) was assessed by Western blotting of muscle lysates. Results: At 10 weeks, the HFD group demonstrated impaired glucose tolerance in comparison with the LFD group. HGF/VEGF plasmid injection aggravated glucose intolerance in HFD conditions. Blood flow recovery was not changed by HGF/VEGF plasmid injection either in LFD or HFD conditions. GT in LFD, but not in HFD conditions, enlarged the necrotic area and CD68+ cells infiltration. However, HGF/VEGF plasmid enhanced neuritogenesis and enlarged NF200+ area on muscle sections. In HFD conditions, HGF/VEGF plasmid injection significantly increased mitochondria content and ETC proteins content. Conclusions: The current study demonstrated a significant role of dietary conditions in pre-clinical testing of non-viral GT drugs. HGF/VEGF combined plasmid demonstrated a novel aspect of potential participation in ischemic skeletal muscle regeneration, through regulation of innervation and bioenergetics of muscle. The obtained results made HGF/VEGF combined plasmid a very promising tool for PAD therapy in impaired glucose tolerance conditions.
Combined Noncoding RNA-mRNA Regulomics Signature in Reprogramming and Pluripotency in iPSCs
Authors: Salloum-Asfar Salam , Abdulla Sara A. , Taha Rowaida Z. , Thompson I. Richard , Emara Mohamed M.
Published: November 2022

Somatic cells are reprogrammed with reprogramming factors to generate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), offering a promising future for disease modeling and treatment by overcoming the limitations of embryonic stem cells. However, this process remains inefficient since only a small percentage of transfected cells can undergo full reprogramming. Introducing miRNAs, such as miR-294 and miR302/3667, with reprogramming factors, has shown to increase iPSC colony formation. Previously, we identified five transcription factors, GBX2, NANOGP8, SP8, PEG3, and ZIC1, which may boost iPSC generation. In this study, we performed quantitative miRNAome and small RNA-seq sequencing and applied our previously identified transcriptome to identify the potential miRNA–mRNA regulomics and regulatory network of other ncRNAs. From each fibroblast (N = 4), three iPSC clones were examined (N = 12). iPSCs and original fibroblasts expressed miRNA clusters differently and miRNA clusters were compared to mRNA hits. Moreover, miRNA, piRNA, and snoRNAs expression profiles in iPSCs and original fibroblasts were assessed to identify the potential role of ncRNAs in enhancing iPSC generation, pluripotency, and differentiation. Decreased levels of let-7a-5p showed an increase of SP8 as described previously. Remarkably, the targets of identifier miRNAs were grouped into pluripotency canonical pathways, on stemness, cellular development, growth and proliferation, cellular assembly, and organization of iPSCs.
Clinical Significance of Tie-2-Expressing Monocytes/Macrophages and Angiopoietins in the Progression of Ovarian Cancer—State-of-the-Art
Authors: Skiba Wiktoria , Suszczyk Dorota , Pawłowska Anna , Włodarczyk Karolina , Pańczyszyn Anna , Wertel Iwona
Published: November 2022

Tumour growth and metastasis are specific to advanced stages of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Tumour angiogenesis is an essential part of these processes. It is responsible for providing tumours with nutrients, metabolites, and cytokines and facilitates tumour and immune cell relocation. Destabilised vasculature, a distinctive feature of tumours, is also responsible for compromising drug delivery into the bulk. Angiogenesis is a complex process that largely depends on how the tumour microenvironment (TME) is composed and how a specific organ is formed. There are contrary reports on whether Tie-2-expressing monocytes/macrophages (TEMs) reported as the proangiogenic population of monocytes have any impact on tumour development. The aim of this paper is to summarise knowledge about ovarian-cancer-specific angiogenesis and the unique role of Tie-2-expressing monocytes/macrophages in this process. The significance of this cell subpopulation for the pathophysiology of EOC remains to be investigated.
SERPINB2, an Early Responsive Gene to Epigallocatechin Gallate, Inhibits Migration and Promotes Apoptosis in Esophageal Cancer Cells
Authors: Chen Zikai , Wei Yifu , Zheng Yuzhong , Zhu Hui , Teng Qian , Lin Xianglan , Wu Fengnian , Zhou Fei
Published: November 2022

Esophageal cancer is a lethal disease that frequently occurs in developing countries, the incidence of which could be declined by drinking EGCG-enriched drinks or food. SERPINB2, whose complex functions and regulations are not yet fully understood, are induced by multiple inflammatory molecules and anti-tumor agents. Here, we identify 2444 EGCG-regulated genes in esophageal cancer cells, including SERPINB2. EGCG treatment recruits NF-κB at the promoter and enhancers of SERPINB2 and activates gene transcription, which is repressed by NF-κB knockdown or inhibition. Loss of SERPINB2 leads to a faster migration rate and less expression of Caspase-3 in cancer cells. Our study demonstrates that SERPINB2 is a new tumor-suppressor gene involved in cell movement and apoptosis and could be a therapeutic target for esophageal cancer.
ARH Family of ADP-Ribose-Acceptor Hydrolases
Authors: Ishiwata-Endo Hiroko , Kato Jiro , Yamashita Sachiko , Chea Chanbora , Koike Kazushige , Lee Duck-Yeon , Moss Joel
Published: November 2022

The ARH family of ADP-ribose-acceptor hydrolases consists of three 39-kDa members (ARH1-3), with similarities in amino acid sequence. ARH1 was identified based on its ability to cleave ADP-ribosyl-arginine synthesized by cholera toxin. Mammalian ADP-ribosyltransferases (ARTCs) mimicked the toxin reaction, with ARTC1 catalyzing the synthesis of ADP-ribosyl-arginine. ADP-ribosylation of arginine was stereospecific, with β-NAD+ as substrate and, α-anomeric ADP-ribose-arginine the reaction product. ARH1 hydrolyzed α-ADP-ribose-arginine, in addition to α-NAD+ and O-acetyl-ADP-ribose. Thus, ADP-ribose attached to oxygen-containing or nitrogen-containing functional groups was a substrate. Arh1 heterozygous and knockout (KO) mice developed tumors. Arh1-KO mice showed decreased cardiac contractility and developed myocardial fibrosis. In addition to Arh1-KO mice showed increased ADP-ribosylation of tripartite motif-containing protein 72 (TRIM72), a membrane-repair protein. ARH3 cleaved ADP-ribose from ends of the poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) chain and released the terminal ADP-ribose attached to (serine)protein. ARH3 also hydrolyzed α-NAD+ and O-acetyl-ADP-ribose. Incubation of Arh3-KO cells with H2O2 resulted in activation of poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP)-1, followed by increased nuclear PAR, increased cytoplasmic PAR, leading to release of Apoptosis Inducing Factor (AIF) from mitochondria. AIF, following nuclear translocation, stimulated endonucleases, resulting in cell death by Parthanatos. Human ARH3-deficiency is autosomal recessive, rare, and characterized by neurodegeneration and early death. Arh3-KO mice developed increased brain infarction following ischemia-reperfusion injury, which was reduced by PARP inhibitors. Similarly, PARP inhibitors improved survival of Arh3-KO cells treated with H2O2. ARH2 protein did not show activity in the in vitro assays described above for ARH1 and ARH3. ARH2 has a restricted tissue distribution, with primary involvement of cardiac and skeletal muscle. Overall, the ARH family has unique functions in biological processes and different enzymatic activities.
Impact of Maternal Vitamin D Supplementation during Breastfeeding on Infant Serum Vitamin D Levels: A Narrative Review of the Recent Evidence
Authors: DePender Shannon , Russell Madeleine M. , DeJager Jill , Comstock Sarah S.
Published: November 2022

Vitamin D supplementation for breastfed infants is recommended due to low levels of vitamin D in human milk and the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. The relationship between maternal vitamin D supplementation while breastfeeding and infant serum vitamin D levels is beginning to be described. A literature review was conducted that investigated the impact of maternal supplementation, with at least 4000 IU of vitamin D, on infant serum vitamin D levels. Inclusion criteria were publication between 2016–2022, primary research, exclusively breastfed infants, and mothers taking vitamin D supplements while breastfeeding. Exclusion criteria were publication prior to 2016, review articles, results that did not include infant serum vitamin D levels, and research using participants already included in this review. Over 90% of infants whose mothers took vitamin D supplements while breastfeeding had adequate serum vitamin D levels. The final mean serum vitamin D of all infant participants whose mothers consumed vitamin D supplementation was 66.7 nmol/L, while mean serum vitamin D in those whose mothers did not consume supplements was 33.5 nmol/L. Consumption of vitamin D supplements by lactating women exclusively breastfeeding their infants can lead to adequate serum vitamin D levels in their infants.
A Brief Mindfulness Intervention for Parents and Children before Pediatric Venipuncture: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Moline Rachel L. , Constantin Kaytlin , Chambers Christine T. , Powell Deborah , Lewis Stephen P. , Laurignano Laryssa , McMurtry C. Meghan
Published: November 2022

Background: Routine needle procedures can be distressing for parents and children. Mindfulness interventions may be helpful for parents and children but have not been examined for pediatric needle procedures despite showing benefits in the context of pediatric chronic pain and in lab-based pain tasks. Methods: This preregistered (NCT03941717) two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial examined the effects of a 5 min mindfulness intervention before pediatric venipuncture for parents and children (aged 7–12) compared to a control group on primary outcomes of child pain and fear, secondary outcomes of parent distress, and tertiary outcomes of parent ratings of child pain and fear. Moderators of parent and children’s responses to the intervention were examined: state catastrophizing, trait mindfulness, and experiential avoidance. Results: Sixty-one parent–child dyads were randomized (31 mindfulness; 30 control). Parents and children completed measures, listened to a 5 min audio recording (mindfulness or control), and parents accompanied their child during routine venipuncture. The mindfulness intervention involved breathing and encouraging nonjudgmental attention to one’s experiences, while the control condition involved an unfocused attention task. Three between-subject MANCOVAs assessed for group differences. Child pain and fear rated by children and their parents did not differ between groups. Parents in the mindfulness group were less distressed during the venipuncture than the controls. Parent state catastrophizing may have moderated the intervention effects, such that parents with moderate and high catastrophizing levels had lower distress following the mindfulness intervention versus control. Conclusions: The intervention did not reduce child pain or fear but reduced parent distress. It appeared most helpful for parents catastrophizing about their child’s pain, which is noteworthy as these children are prone to worse outcomes.
Interpretable Classification of Tauopathies with a Convolutional Neural Network Pipeline Using Transfer Learning and Validation against Post-Mortem Clinical Cases of Alzheimer’s Disease and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy
Authors: Diaz-Gomez Liliana , Gutierrez-Rodriguez Andres E. , Martinez-Maldonado Alejandra , Luna-Muñoz Jose , Cantoral-Ceballos Jose A. , Ontiveros-Torres Miguel A.
Published: November 2022

Neurodegenerative diseases, tauopathies, constitute a serious global health problem. The etiology of these diseases is unclear and an increase in their incidence has been projected in the next 30 years. Therefore, the study of the molecular mechanisms that might stop these neurodegenerative processes is very relevant. Classification of neurodegenerative diseases using Machine and Deep Learning algorithms has been widely studied for medical imaging such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging. However, post-mortem immunofluorescence imaging studies of the brains of patients have not yet been used for this purpose. These studies may represent a valuable tool for monitoring aberrant chemical changes or pathological post-translational modifications of the Tau polypeptide. We propose a Convolutional Neural Network pipeline for the classification of Tau pathology of Alzheimer’s disease and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy by analyzing post-mortem immunofluorescence images with different Tau biomarkers performed with models generated with the architecture ResNet-IFT using Transfer Learning. These models’ outputs were interpreted with interpretability algorithms such as Guided Grad-CAM and Occlusion Analysis. To determine the best classifier, four different architectures were tested. We demonstrated that our design was able to classify diseases with an accuracy of 98.41% on average whilst providing an interpretation concerning the proper classification involving different structural patterns in the immunoreactivity of the Tau protein in NFTs present in the brains of patients with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Alzheimer’s disease.
Antioxidant Efficacy of Esculetin against Tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide-Induced Oxidative Stress in HEK293 Cells
Authors: Jung Woo Kwon , Park Su-Bin , Yu Hwa Young , Kim Yong Hwan , Kim Junghyun
Published: November 2022

Esculetin is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound derived from coumarin. Oxidative stress can cause overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can lead to the development of chronic kidney failure. In this study, human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells were treated with tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP) to determine the antioxidant effects of esculetin. HEK293 cells were treated with t-BHP to validate changes in cell viability, ROS production, and apoptosis, and then treated with esculetin to evaluate the changes. Changes in mRNA and protein levels were analyzed using a proteome kit, PCR, and Western blotting. Esculetin improved HEK293 cell viability and reduced apoptosis caused by t-BHP-induced oxidative stress. At the mRNA and protein levels, esculetin decreased pro-apoptotic factor expression as well as increased anti-apoptotic factor expression. The antioxidant efficacy of esculetin was validated when it inhibited the apoptosis caused by t-BHP-induced oxidative stress in HEK293 cells.
Reduced Tyrosine and Serine-632 Phosphorylation of Insulin Receptor Substrate-1 in the Gastrocnemius Muscle of Obese Zucker Rat
Authors: Ola Mohammad Shamsul
Published: November 2022

Obesity has become a serious health problem in the world, with increased morbidity, mortality, and financial burden on patients and health-care providers. The skeletal muscle is the most extensive tissue, severely affected by a sedentary lifestyle, which leads to obesity and type 2 diabetes. Obesity disrupts insulin signaling in the skeletal muscle, resulting in decreased glucose disposal, a condition known as insulin resistance. Although there is a large body of evidence on obesity-induced insulin resistance in various skeletal muscles, the molecular mechanism of insulin resistance due to a disruption in insulin receptor signaling, specifically in the gastrocnemius skeletal muscle of obese Zucker rats (OZRs), is not fully understood. This study subjected OZRs to a glucose tolerance test (GTT) to analyze insulin sensitivity. In addition, immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting techniques were used to determine the expression and tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) and insulin receptor-β (IRβ), and the activation of serine-632-IRS-1 phosphorylation in the gastrocnemius muscle of Zucker rats. The results show that the GTT in the OZRs was impaired. There was a significant decrease in IRS-1 levels, but no change was observed in IRβ in the gastrocnemius muscle of OZRs, compared to Zucker leans. Obese rats had a higher ratio of tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1 and IRβ than lean rats. In obese rats, however, insulin was unable to induce tyrosine phosphorylation. Moreover, insulin increased the phosphorylation of serine 632-IRS-1 in the gastrocnemius muscle of lean rats. However, obese rats had a low basal level of serine-632-IRS-1 and insulin only mildly increased serine phosphorylation in obese rats, compared to those without insulin. Thus, we addressed the altered steps of the insulin receptor signal transduction in the gastrocnemius muscle of OZRs. These findings may contribute to a better understanding of human obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Human Blood Extracellular Vesicles Activate Transcription of NF-kB-Dependent Genes in A549 Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells
Authors: Savinovskaya Yulya I. , Nushtaeva Anna A. , Savelyeva Anna V. , Morozov Vitaliy V. , Ryabchikova Elena I. , Kuligina Elena V. , Richter Vladimir A. , Semenov Dmitriy V.
Published: November 2022

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) produced by various cell types are heterogeneous in size and composition. Changes in the RNA sets of EVs in biological fluids are considered the basis for the development of new approaches to minimally invasive diagnostics and the therapy of human diseases. In this study, EVs were obtained from the blood of healthy donors by centrifugation, followed by ultracentrifugation. It was shown that EVs consist of several populations including small exosome-like vesicles and larger microvesicle-like particles. The composition of EVs’ RNAs was determined. A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells were incubated with EV and the NGS analysis of differentially expressed genes was performed. During the incubation of A549 cells with EVs, the levels of mRNA encoding components for the NF-kB signaling pathway increased, as well as the expression of genes controlled by the NF-kB transcription factor. Overall, our results suggest that components of EVs trigger the NF-kB signaling cascade in A549 cells, leading to the transcription of genes including cytokines, adhesion molecules, cell cycle regulators, and cell survival factors. Our data provide insight into the interaction between blood EVs and human cells and can be used for designing new tools for the diagnosis and treatment of human diseases.
Regulatory Effects and Mechanism of Action of Green Tea Polyphenols on Osteogenesis and Adipogenesis in Human Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells
Authors: Lao Weiguo , Zhao Yi , Tan Yi , Johnson Michael , Li Yan , Xiao Linda , Cheng Jing , Lin Yiguang , Qu Xianqin
Published: November 2022

We previously showed that green tea polyphenols (GTPs) exert antiadipogenic effects on preadipocyte proliferation. Here, we investigated the regulatory effects of GTPs on osteogenesis and adipogenesis during early differentiation of human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (hADSC). Adipogenesis of hADSCs was determined by oil-red-O staining and triglycerides synthesis measurement. Osteoporosis of hADSC was measured using alkaline phosphatase assays and intracellular calcium levels. Immunofluorescence staining and qRT-PCR were used to detect PPARγ-CEBPA regulated adipogenic pathway regulated by PPAR-CEBPA and the osteogenic pathway mediated by RUNX2-BMP2. We found that GTPs treatment significantly decreased lipid accumulation and cellular triglyceride synthesis in mature adipocytes and attenuated pioglitazone-induced adipogenesis in a dose-dependent manner. GTPs downregulated protein and mRNA expression of Pparγ and attenuated pioglitazone-stimulated-Cebpa expression. GTPs treatment significantly enhanced hADSCs differentiation into osteoblasts compared to control and pioglitazone-treated cells. GTPs upregulated RunX2 and Bmp2 proteins and mRNA expression compared to control and significantly attenuated decreased RunX2 and Bmp2 mRNA expression by pioglitazone. In conclusion, our data demonstrates GTPs possesses great ability to facilitate osteogenesis and simultaneously inhibits hADSC differentiation into adipogenic lineage by upregulating the RUNX2-BMP2 mediated osteogenic pathway and suppressing PPARγ-induced signaling of adipogenesis. These findings highlight GTPs’ potential to combat osteoporosis associated with obesity.
Corrosion Inhibition, Inhibitor Environments, and the Role of Machine Learning
Authors: Hughes Anthony , Winkler David , Carr James , Lee P. , Yang Y. , Laleh Majid , Tan Mike
Published: November 2022

Machine learning (ML) is providing a new design paradigm for many areas of technology, including corrosion inhibition. However, ML models require relatively large and diverse training sets to be most effective. This paper provides an overview of developments in corrosion inhibitor research, focussing on how corrosion performance data can be incorporated into machine learning and how large sets of inhibitor performance data that are suitable for training robust ML models can be developed through various corrosion inhibition testing approaches, especially high-throughput performance testing. It examines different types of environments where corrosion by-products and electrolytes operate, with a view to understanding how conventional inhibitor testing methods may be better designed, chosen, and applied to obtain the most useful performance data for inhibitors. The authors explore the role of modern characterisation techniques in defining corrosion chemistry in occluded structures (e.g., lap joints) and examine how corrosion inhibition databases generated by these techniques can be exemplified by recent developments. Finally, the authors briefly discuss how the effects of specific structures, alloy microstructures, leaching structures, and kinetics in paint films may be incorporated into machine learning strategies.
Deposition and Characterization of Heterostructures Based on Doped Ferrocene for Film-Device Applications
Authors: Sánchez Vergara María Elena , Toledo Dircio Emiliano , Zubillaga Serrano Rafael Imanol
Published: November 2022

Novel heterostructures based on ferrocenium hexafluorophosphate (FcPF6), 2,6-dihydroxyanthraquinone (DHAQ) or 2,6-diaminoanthraquinone (DAAQ), zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) and nylon 11 were deposited by the high-vacuum thermal evaporation (HVTE) technique. Morphological and mechanical characterizations of these organic heterostructures FcPF6:DHAQ/nylon(ZnPc) and FcPF6:DAAQ/nylon(ZnPc) were carried out. Subsequently, corresponding optical parameters were calculated. The heterostructure with FcPF6:DHAQ presented the lowest optical band gap and fundamental band gap at 1.55 eV and 2.45 eV, respectively. The nylon(ZnPc) layer favors the optical behavior and places these heterostructures within organic low-bandgap semiconductor range. Additionally, devices were fabricated, and their electrical behavior was evaluated. The ITO/FcPF6:DHAQ/nylon(ZnPc)/Ag device exhibits ohmic behavior, and the ITO/FcPF6:DAAQ/nylon(ZnPc)/Ag device exhibits ohmic behavior at low voltages, but at V ≥ 5 V, its behavior changes to Space Charge Limited Current (SCLC). This device carries a maximum current of 0.02 A, three orders of magnitude higher than the current carried by the device with the DHAQ. The SCLC conduction mechanism showed a hole mobility of 9.27 × 10−8 (cm2)/Vs, the concentration of thermally excited holes of 3.01 × 1023 m−3, and trap concentration of 3.93 × 1021 m−3. FcPF6:DHAQ/nylon(ZnPc) and FcPF6:DAAQ/nylon(ZnPc) are potential candidates for organic devices as an emitter layer and active layer, respectively.
Data from Zimbabwean College Students on the Measurement Invariance of the Entrepreneurship Goal and Implementation Intentions Scales
Authors: Ndofirepi Takawira Munyaradzi
Published: November 2022

This article analyses primary data on the entrepreneurship intentions of selected Zimbabwean college students. The goal of this study was to examine the measurement invariance of the entrepreneurship goal and implementation intention scales across gender groups in a higher education setting. Entrepreneurship goal intentions (EGI) and entrepreneurship implementation intentions (EII) are examined as separate but related constructs. To address the research goal, a positivist philosophy and quantitative research approach were used. A cross-sectional survey was used to collect data from a convenient sample of 262 college students in Zimbabwe. A researcher-administered questionnaire, written in English, was distributed to the respondents and collected after completion. Multi-group confirmatory analysis was performed on the dataset using JASP computer software. The results obtained confirmed all four levels of measurement invariance, namely configural, metric, scalar, and strict invariance. The pattern of the results validates the consistency of the measurement properties of the entrepreneurial intention instruments designed in developed countries across different contexts of use. Researchers, entrepreneurship educators, and policymakers in Zimbabwe can use the results of this analysis to quantify potential entrepreneurs among young adults and to come up with intervention measures to support future entrepreneurship.
Digital Twins: A Systematic Literature Review Based on Data Analysis and Topic Modeling
Authors: Kukushkin Kuzma , Ryabov Yury , Borovkov Alexey
Published: November 2022

The digital twin has recently become a popular topic in research related to manufacturing, such as Industry 4.0, the industrial internet of things, and cyber-physical systems. In addition, digital twins are the focus of several research areas: construction, urban management, digital transformation of the economy, medicine, virtual reality, software testing, and others. The concept is not yet fully defined, its scope seems unlimited, and the topic is relatively new; all this can present a barrier to research. The main goal of this paper is to develop a proper methodology for visualizing the digital-twin science landscape using modern bibliometric tools, text-mining and topic-modeling, based on machine learning models—Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) and BERTopic (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers). The scope of the study includes 8693 publications on the topic selected from the Scopus database, published between January 1993 and September 2022. Keyword co-occurrence analysis and topic-modeling indicate that studies on digital twins are still in the early stage of development. At the same time, the core of the topic is growing, and some topic clusters are emerging. More than 100 topics can be identified; the most popular and fastest-growing topic is ‘digital twins of industrial robots, production lines and objects.’ Further efforts are needed to verify the proposed methodology, which can be achieved by analyzing other research fields.
Regulatory T Cells but Not Tumour-Infiltrating Lymphocytes Correlate with Tumour Invasion Depth in Basal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Ferronika Paranita , Dhiyani Safira Alya , Budiarti Tri , Widodo Irianiwati , Rinonce Hanggoro Tri , Anwar Sumadi Lukman
Published: November 2022

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common skin malignancy worldwide. Current evidence suggests tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) may influence the clinical outcomes of patients with BCC. The present study aimed to profile the infiltrative characteristics of stromal TILs and regulatory T cells (Treg cells) in the tumour centre (TC), tumour periphery (TP), and normal adjacent tissue (NAT) of BCC. A total of 111 samples from 43 cutaneous BCC cases were examined for TIL (CD3+) and Treg cell (FOXP3+/CD3+) expression using immunohistochemical techniques. The correlations of Treg cells with TILs, invasion depth, and tumour morphological risk were analysed. We identified a high mean proportion of Treg cells within the tumour (TC = 46.9%, TP = 56.1%, NAT = 51.8%) despite a relatively low median of TILs (TC = 12.7%, TP = 10.3%, NAT = 3.6%), supporting the classification of BCC as a cold tumour. A significant positive correlation was observed between the proportion of Treg cells and sTILs (ρ = 0.325, p < 0.001), suggesting a predominant role of TILs in the infiltration of Treg cells. An inverse correlation discovered between Treg cells and tumour invasion depth (r = −0.36, p = 0.017) might indicate Treg cells’ anti-tumour capacity in BCC.
Complete Pseudo-Anodontia in an Adult Woman with Pseudo-Hypoparathyroidism Type 1a: A New Additional Nonclassical Feature?
Authors: Sciacchitano Salvatore , De Francesco Gian Paolo , Piane Maria , Savio Camilla , De Vitis Claudia , Petrucci Simona , Salvati Valentina , Goldoni Marina , Fabiani Marco , Mesoraca Alvaro , Micolonghi Caterina , Torres Barbara , Piccinetti Annalisa , Pippi Roberto , Mancini Rita
Published: November 2022

Pseudo-anodontia consists in the clinical, not radiographic, absence of teeth, due to failure in their eruption. It has been reported as part of an extremely rare syndrome, named GAPO syndrome. Pseudo-hypoparathyroidism type 1a (PHPT-1a) is a rare condition, characterized by resistance to the parathyroid hormone (PTH), as well as to many other hormones, and resulting in hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, and elevated PTH. We report here the case of a 32-year-old woman with a long-standing history of non-treated hypocalcemia, in the context of an undiagnosed PHPT-1a. She had an intellectual disability, showed clinical features of the Albright hereditary osteodystrophy (AHO) and presented signs of multiple hormone resistances. She received treatment for seizures since the age of six. Examination of her mouth revealed a complete absence of teeth. Treatment of hypocalcemia and hormone deficiencies were started only at 29 years of age. Genetic testing demonstrated the presence of a frameshift variant in the GNAS gene in the proband as well as in her mother. A Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) array analysis failed to demonstrate pathogenic copy number variants (CNVs) but showed several regions with loss of heterozygosity (LOHs) for a final percentage of 1.75%, compatible with a fifth degree of relationship. Clinical exome sequencing (CES) ruled out any damaging variants in all the teeth agenesis-related genes. In conclusion, although we performed an extensive genetic analysis in search of possible additional gene alterations that could explain the presence of the peculiar phenotypic characteristics observed in our patient, we could not find any additional genetic defects. Our results suggest that the association of genetically confirmed PHPT-1a and complete pseudo-anodontia associated with persistent patchy alopecia areata is a new additional nonclassical feature related to the GNAS pathogenic variant.
Accuracy Assessment of Direct Georeferencing for Photogrammetric Applications Based on UAS-GNSS for High Andean Urban Environments
Authors: Salas López Rolando , Terrones Murga Renzo E. , Silva-López Jhonsy O. , Rojas-Briceño Nilton B. , Gómez Fernández Darwin , Oliva-Cruz Manuel , Taddia Yuri
Published: November 2022

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are used in a variety of applications with the aim of mapping detailed surfaces from the air. Despite the high level of map automation achieved today, there are still challenges in the accuracy of georeferencing that can limit both the speed and the efficiency in mapping urban areas. However, the integration of topographic grade Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers on UAS has improved this phase, leading to a reach of up to a centimeter-level accuracy. It is therefore necessary to adopt direct georeferencing (DG), real-time kinematic positioning (RTK)/post-processed kinematic (PPK) approaches in order to largely automate the photogrammetric flow. This work analyses the positional accuracy using Ground Control Points (GCP) and the repeatability and reproducibility of photogrammetric products (Digital Surface Model and ortho-mosaic) of a commercial multi-rotor system equipped with a GNSS receiver in an urban environment with a DG approach. It was demonstrated that DG is a viable solution for mapping urban areas. Indeed, PPK with at least 1 GCP considerably improves the RMSE (x: 0.039 m, y: 0.012 m, and z: 0.034 m), allowing for a reliable 1:500 scale urban mapping in less time when compared to conventional topographic surveys.
Emoji Use as a Catalyst for Relationship Building and Sustaining Attention in Online Classes: An Empirical Study
Authors: Kim Minseong , Knotts Tami L. , Albers Nancy D. , James Karen E.
Published: November 2022

Motivating students and sustaining their attention are essential for online classes in higher education. In particular, effective and efficient online communication between students and professors serves as a core driver for increased learning motivation and sustained attention. The purpose of this study was to examine the use of emojis and professor-student email communication as methods of motivating students and sustaining their attention. Specifically, this study hypothesized that a professor’s use of emojis in a welcome letter could result in the enhancement of psychological relationships with student recipients, such as students’ perceived authenticity and intimacy with the professor, leading to increased intrinsic learning motivation and sustained attention in the professor’s online class. The sample for the study was comprised of 297 undergraduate students from public universities in the United States. Data was collected via a scenario-based survey approach. The empirical findings indicated that emojis in a professor’s welcome letter could lead students to perceive the professor as authentic and friendly, making students more intrinsically motivated and more inclined to pay attention in the professor’s online class. Theoretical implications for the education field and pedagogical implications for developing online classes in higher education were proposed.
Extended Simplified Electro-Mechanical Model of a Variable-Speed Wind Turbine for Grid Integration Studies: Emulation and Validation on a Microgrid Lab
Authors: Ochoa Danny , Martinez Sergio , Arévalo Paul
Published: November 2022

The energy transition towards renewable energies is crucial for the sustainable development of a society based on hydrocarbons. The current level of penetration and growth of wind energy in electric power systems is evident and many researchers have presented new methods for simulating and representing the electrical and mechanical characteristics of variable-speed wind turbines. However, complete mathematical models developed and implemented, for example, in MATLAB/Simulink® software, require significant computational efforts that could make grid studies impractical when its scale tends to increase. To contribute to facing this issue, this paper proposes an extended simplified model for a variable-speed wind turbine that considers the dynamic behavior of its mechanical system and includes an approximate representation of the power electronic converter. This approach broadens the scope of studies related to grid frequency control and power quality (fast-frequency response, primary frequency control, and voltage control, among others), considerably reducing the computational burden. Several validations of the proposed simplified model are presented, including comparisons with a doubly fed induction generator-based wind turbine model (phasor type) from the MATLAB/Simulink® library, and laboratory experiments under controlled conditions. The results show a good fit of the proposed simplified model to the MATLAB/Simulink® model, with minimal delays about 3% of the wind turbine inertia constant. Moreover, with the proposal, the computational time is reduced by up to 80% compared to a detailed model. This time reduction is achieved without penalizing the numerical accuracy and the estimation quality of the real behavior of the variable-speed wind turbine.
Orientation Detection System Based on Edge-Orientation Selective Neurons
Authors: Chen Tianqi , Li Bin , Todo Yuki
Published: November 2022

In this paper, we propose a mechanism of orientation detection system based on edge-orientation selective neurons. We assume that there are neurons in the V1 that can generate response to object’s edge, and each neuron has the optimal response to specific orientation in a local receptive field. The global orientation is inferred from the aggregation of local orientation information. An orientation detection system is further developed based on the proposed mechanism. We design four types of neurons for four local orientations and used these neurons to extract local orientation information. The global orientation is obtained according to the neuron with the most activation. The performance of this orientation detection system is evaluated on orientation detection tasks. From the experiment results, we can conclude that our proposed global orientation mechanism is feasible and explainable. The mechanism-based orientation detection system shows better recognition accuracy and noise immunity than the traditional convolution neural network-based orientation detection systems and EfficientNet-based orientation detection system, which have the most accuracy for now. In addition, our edge-orientation selective cell based artificial visual system can greatly save time and learning cost compared to the traditional convolution neural network and EfficientNet.
Lightweight Multi-Scale Dilated U-Net for Crop Disease Leaf Image Segmentation
Authors: Xu Cong , Yu Changqing , Zhang Shanwen
Published: November 2022

Crop disease leaf image segmentation (CDLIS) is the premise of disease detection, disease type recognition and disease degree evaluation. Various convolutional neural networks (CNN) and their modified models have been provided for CDLIS, but their training time is very long. Aiming at the low segmentation accuracy of various diseased leaf images caused by different sizes, colors, shapes, blurred speckle edges and complex backgrounds of traditional U-Net, a lightweight multi-scale extended U-Net (LWMSDU-Net) is constructed for CDLIS. It is composed of encoding and decoding sub-networks. Encoding the sub-network adopts multi-scale extended convolution, the decoding sub-network adopts a deconvolution model, and the residual connection between the encoding module and the corresponding decoding module is employed to fuse the shallow features and deep features of the input image. Compared with the classical U-Net and multi-scale U-Net, the number of layers of LWMSDU-Net is decreased by 1 with a small number of the trainable parameters and less computational complexity, and the skip connection of U-Net is replaced by the residual path (Respath) to connect the encoder and decoder before concatenating. Experimental results on a crop disease leaf image dataset demonstrate that the proposed method can effectively segment crop disease leaf images with an accuracy of 92.17%.