bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electrochemical Aptasensor for the Detection of the Key Virulence Factor YadA of Yersinia enterocolitica
Authors: Sande Maria G. , Ferreira Débora , Rodrigues Joana L. , Melo Luís D. R. , Linke Dirk , Silva Carla J. , Moreira Felismina T. C. , Sales Maria Goreti F. , Rodrigues Ligia R.
Published: August 2022

New point-of-care (POC) diagnosis of bacterial infections are imperative to overcome the deficiencies of conventional methods, such as culture and molecular methods. In this study, we identified new aptamers that bind to the virulence factor Yersinia adhesin A (YadA) of Yersinia enterocolitica using cell-systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (cell-SELEX). Escherichia coli expressing YadA on the cell surface was used as a target cell. After eight cycles of selection, the final aptamer pool was sequenced by high throughput sequencing using the Illumina Novaseq platform. The sequencing data, analyzed using the Geneious software, was aligned, filtered and demultiplexed to obtain the key nucleotides possibly involved in the target binding. The most promising aptamer candidate, Apt1, bound specifically to YadA with a dissociation constant (Kd) of 11 nM. Apt1 was used to develop a simple electrochemical biosensor with a two-step, label-free design towards the detection of YadA. The sensor surface modifications and its ability to bind successfully and stably to YadA were confirmed by cyclic voltammetry, impedance spectroscopy and square wave voltammetry. The biosensor enabled the detection of YadA in a linear range between 7.0 × 104 and 7.0 × 107 CFU mL−1 and showed a square correlation coefficient >0.99. The standard deviation and the limit of detection was ~2.5% and 7.0 × 104 CFU mL−1, respectively. Overall, the results suggest that this novel biosensor incorporating Apt1 can potentially be used as a sensitive POC detection system to aid the diagnosis of Y. enterocolitica infections. Furthermore, this simple yet innovative approach could be replicated to select aptamers for other (bacterial) targets and to develop the corresponding biosensors for their detection.
A Mouse Holder for Awake Functional Imaging in Unanesthetized Mice: Applications in 31P Spectroscopy, Manganese-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging Studies, and Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Fadel Lindsay C. , Patel Ivany V. , Romero Jonathan , Tan I-Chih , Kesler Shelli R. , Rao Vikram , Subasinghe S. A. Amali S. , Ray Russell S. , Yustein Jason T. , Allen Matthew J. , Gibson Brian W. , Verlinden Justin J. , Fayn Stanley , Ruggiero Nicole , Ortiz Caitlyn , Hipskind Elizabeth , Feng Aaron , Iheanacho Chijindu , Wang Alex , Pautler Robia G.
Published: August 2022

Anesthesia is often used in preclinical imaging studies that incorporate mouse or rat models. However, multiple reports indicate that anesthesia has significant physiological impacts. Thus, there has been great interest in performing imaging studies in awake, unanesthetized animals to obtain accurate results without the confounding physiological effects of anesthesia. Here, we describe a newly designed mouse holder that is interfaceable with existing MRI systems and enables awake in vivo mouse imaging. This holder significantly reduces head movement of the awake animal compared to previously designed holders and allows for the acquisition of improved anatomical images. In addition to applications in anatomical T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we also describe applications in acquiring 31P spectra, manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) transport rates and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) in awake animals and describe a successful conditioning paradigm for awake imaging. These data demonstrate significant differences in 31P spectra, MEMRI transport rates, and rs-fMRI connectivity between anesthetized and awake animals, emphasizing the importance of performing functional studies in unanesthetized animals. Furthermore, these studies demonstrate that the mouse holder presented here is easy to construct and use, compatible with standard Bruker systems for mouse imaging, and provides rigorous results in awake mice.
Resilience among Malaysian Community Pharmacists and General Medical Practitioners Using the 10-Item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC): The First National Survey
Authors: Elkudssiah Ismail Nahlah , Hui Wong Min , Goh Khang Wen , Jimam Nanloh Samuel , Hermansyah Andi , Ming Long Chiau
Published: August 2022

With the growing importance of the healthcare sector, resilience has become a fundamental personal quality that healthcare professionals need to cultivate to cope with adverse events in daily work. Distress in the workplace cannot only impact the well-being of healthcare professionals but also negatively affect the capability to care effectively for others. This study was conducted to determine the score and level of resilience among private primary healthcare professionals and their relationships with independent variables. Sets of questionnaires on resilience based on the Connor–Davidson resilience scale-10 (CD-RISC-10) were completed by 164 general practitioners (GPs) and 87 community pharmacists (CPs). Inferential analysis was used to assess the difference, correlation, association, and predictor among dependent and independent variables. The validity and reliability of the study instrument were assessed using Modern Test Theory (MTT) and Classical Test Theory (CTT). The majority of GPs and CPs possessed the lowest resilience level. There were significant differences between CD-RISC-10 with gender, age, and years of experience in GPs as well as overall. Significant associations were found between CD-RISC-10 with all independent variables, except for the highest education level in GPs and overall. This study revealed significant correlations between independent variables with CD-RISC-10 in GPs and overall. However, there were nonsignificant differences, associations, and correlations among CPs between all independent variables and CD-RISC-10. Gender was the predictor of CD-RISC-10 in GPs, while age and years of experience were the predictors of CD-RISC-10 in GPs and overall. There was no predictor of independent variables for CPs. In multinomial logistics regression, years of experience and gender were the significant predictors of CD-RISC-10 among GPs. The CD-RISC-10 instrument had good validity and reliability. Overall, healthcare professionals showed a low level of resilience. This emphasized the need to cultivate and build resilience, as it is a desirable, important element when working in harsh and unprecedented healthcare settings.
Development and Validation of a Measure of Passive Aggression Traits: The Passive Aggression Scale (PAS)
Authors: Lim Young-Ok , Suh Kyung-Hyun
Published: August 2022

Although passive aggression is known as a pathological personality trait, the concept is unclear, and there is a lack of tools to measure it comprehensively. Thus, this study developed and validated a tool for measuring passive-aggressive behaviors. Data on basic information about passive aggression traits were collected from 20 experts using open-ended questions. To verify content validity, Delphi surveys were conducted twice with five experts. Data for item analysis were collected from 123 Korean adults. Reliability and validity were analyzed using data obtained from 408 Korean adults. The three-factor model for the passive aggression scale (PAS) showed satisfactory model fits. Cronbach’s αs for inducing criticism, avoiding/ignoring, and sabotaging subscales, and the total PAS, were 0.91, 0.91, 0.92, and 0.93, respectively. The test–retest coefficient of the PAS also indicates that this tool is reliable. Analyses of the criterion-related validity revealed that the PAS was closely correlated with the scores of some scales that measure passive aggression with a single factor. In addition, the correlations between the PAS, Cook-Medley Hostility Scale, and State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory scores supported our understanding of the concept of passive aggression. This study highlights the utility of PAS as a useful and comprehensive measure of passive-aggressive behaviors to be adopted by researchers and clinicians.
Agility and Innovativeness: The Serial Mediating Role of Helping Behavior and Knowledge Sharing and Moderating Role of Customer Orientation
Authors: Park Sungjin , Cho Keuntae
Published: August 2022

This study aims to understand the mechanism whereby the Agile approach works by analyzing the effect of agility on innovativeness, the sequential mediating effect of helping behavior and knowledge sharing, and the moderating effect of customer orientation. Data for 323 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) companies and 964 non-ICT companies were collected and analyzed through online surveys. Bootstrapping analysis using Model No. 83 of the PROCESS macro confirmed that agility increases team members’ helping behaviors and strengthens knowledge sharing, which in turn has a positive effect on innovativeness. More specifically, helping behavior and knowledge sharing sequentially mediate the relationship between agility and innovativeness. In addition, the study verified that customer orientation moderates the effect of agility on helping behavior. This study is meaningful in showing that it is important to create a culture that pursues “customer value” while promoting mutually helping behavior and sharing knowledge when introducing Agile methodology.
Selection of Ground Motion Intensity Measures and Evaluation of the Ground Motion-Related Uncertainties in the Probabilistic Seismic Demand Analysis of Highway Bridges
Authors: Li Huihui , Zhou Guojie , Wang Jun
Published: August 2022

Probabilistic seismic demand analysis (PSDA) is known as one of the critical intermediate steps in the performance-based earthquake engineering (PBEE) design framework. Accuracy of the PSDA is influenced by various sources of uncertainties and mostly by that stemming from the ground motion-related variabilities. By taking a representative reinforced concrete (RC) continuous girder bridge as the case study, twenty-eight commonly used seismic intensity measures (IMs) were investigated in terms of the effectiveness, efficiency, practicality, proficiency, and sufficiency assessments. Probabilistic seismic demand models (PSDMs) of several critical bridge engineering demand parameters (EDPs) were developed under both the near-field and far-field ground motions through the nonlinear time history analyses (NTHAs). In addition, effects of ground motion-related uncertainties, such as the bin-to-bin (BTB) and record-to-record (RTR) variabilities, on the PSDA of highway bridges were also investigated. It is concluded that (1) IM efficiency contributes significantly to reflecting the RTR variability of ground motions and an efficient IM may reduce the influence of RTR variability in the estimation of structural demands; (2) IM sufficiency reflects the statistical independence of IM and ground motion parameters, and a sufficient IM is helpful in rendering the prediction of structural demands; and (3) uncertainties stemming from both the BTB and RTR variabilities of the seismic records have significant influences on the PSDA and the developed PSDMs of highway bridges.
Faster Serotonin Clearance in CA3 Region of Hippocampus and Antidepressant-like Effect of Decynium-22 in Juvenile Mice Are Putatively Linked to Increased Plasma Membrane Monoamine Transporter Function: Implications for Efficacy of Antidepressants in Juveniles
Authors: Bowman Melodi A. , Gomez Jorge A. , Mitchell Nathan C. , Wells Anne M. , Vitela Melissa , Clarke Kyra M. , Horton Rebecca E. , Koek Wouter , Daws Lynette C.
Published: August 2022

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are less efficacious in treating depression in children than in adults. SSRIs block serotonin uptake via the high-affinity, low-capacity serotonin transporter. However, the low-affinity, high-capacity organic cation transporter 3 (OCT3) and plasma membrane monoamine transporter (PMAT) are emerging as important players in serotonin uptake. We hypothesized that OCT3 and/or PMAT are functionally upregulated in juveniles, thereby buffering SSRIs’ ability to enhance serotonergic neurotransmission. Unlike in adult mice, we found the OCT/PMAT blocker, decynium-22, to have standalone antidepressant-like effects in juveniles. Using in vivo high-speed chronoamperometry, we found that juveniles clear serotonin from the CA3 region of the hippocampus ~2-fold faster than adult mice. Cell density did not differ between ages, suggesting that faster serotonin clearance in juveniles is unrelated to faster diffusion through the extracellular matrix. Western blot and immunohistochemistry showed that juvenile mice have modestly greater expression of PMAT than adults, whereas OCT3 expression in the CA3 region of the hippocampus was similar between ages. Together, these data suggest that faster serotonin clearance and antidepressant-like effects of decynium-22 in juvenile mice may be due to functionally upregulated PMAT. Faster serotonin clearance via PMAT in juveniles may contribute to reduced therapeutic efficacy of SSRIs in children relative to adults.
Endogenous Retroviruses and Placental Evolution, Development, and Diversity
Authors: Imakawa Kazuhiko , Kusama Kazuya , Kaneko-Ishino Tomoko , Nakagawa So , Kitao Koichi , Miyazawa Takayuki , Ishino Fumitoshi
Published: August 2022

The main roles of placentas include physical protection, nutrient and oxygen import, export of gasses and fetal waste products, and endocrinological regulation. In addition to physical protection of the fetus, the placentas must provide immune protection throughout gestation. These basic functions are well-conserved; however, placentas are undoubtedly recent evolving organs with structural and cellular diversities. These differences have been explained for the last two decades through co-opting genes and gene control elements derived from transposable elements, including endogenous retroviruses (ERVs). However, the differences in placental structures have not been explained or characterized. This manuscript addresses the sorting of ERVs and their integration into the mammalian genomes and provides new ways to explain why placental structures have diverged.
Assessment of a Serum Microrna Risk Score for Colorectal Cancer among Participants of Screening Colonoscopy at Various Stages of Colorectal Carcinogenesis
Authors: Raut Janhavi R. , Bhardwaj Megha , Niedermaier Tobias , Miah Kaya , Schrotz-King Petra , Brenner Hermann
Published: August 2022

We recently derived and validated a serum-based microRNA risk score (miR-score) which predicted colorectal cancer (CRC) occurrence with very high accuracy within 14 years of follow-up in a large population-based cohort. Here, we aimed to assess and compare the distribution of the miR-score among participants of screening colonoscopy at various stages of colorectal carcinogenesis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) were profiled by quantitative-real-time-polymerase-chain-reaction in the serum samples of screening colonoscopy participants with CRC (n = 52), advanced colorectal adenoma (AA, n = 100), non-advanced colorectal adenoma (NAA, n = 88), and participants free of colorectal neoplasms (n = 173). The mean values of the miR-score were compared between groups by the Mann–Whitney U test. The associations of the miR-score with risk for colorectal neoplasms were evaluated using logistic regression analyses. MicroRNA risk scores were significantly higher among participants with AA than among those with NAA (p = 0.027) and those with CRC (p = 0.014), whereas no statistically significant difference was seen between those with NAA and those with no colorectal neoplasms (p = 0.127). When comparing adjacent groups, miR-scores were inversely associated with CRC versus AA and positively associated with AA versus NAA [odds ratio (OR), 0.37 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.16–0.86) and OR, 2.22 (95% CI, 1.06–4.64) for the top versus bottom tertiles, respectively]. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that a high miR-score may be indicative of an increased CRC risk by an increased tendency of progression from non-advanced to advanced colorectal neoplasms, along with a change of the miR-patterns after CRC manifestation.
Efp/TRIM25 and Its Related Protein, TRIM47, in Hormone-Dependent Cancers
Authors: Azuma Kotaro , Inoue Satoshi
Published: August 2022

Increasing attention has been paid to the biological roles of tripartite motif-containing (TRIM) family proteins, which typically function as E3 ubiquitin ligases. Estrogen-responsive finger protein (Efp), a member of the TRIM family proteins, also known as TRIM25, was originally identified as a protein induced by estrogen and plays critical roles in promoting endocrine-related cancers, including breast cancer, endometrial cancer, and prostate cancer. The pathophysiological importance of Efp made us interested in the roles of other TRIM family proteins that share a similar structure with Efp. Based on a phylogenetic analysis of the C-terminal region of TRIM family proteins, we focused on TRIM47 as a protein belonging to the same branch as Efp. TRIM47 is a poor prognostic factor in both breast cancer and prostate cancer. Atypical lysine-27-like poly-ubiquitination was involved in the underlying mechanism causing endocrine resistance in breast cancer. We also discuss the functions of Efp and TRIM47 in other types of cancers and innate immunity by introducing substrates the are modified by poly-ubiquitination.
Associations of Adolescents’ Excessive Electronic Device Use, Emotional Symptoms, Sleep Difficulty, and Communication with Parents: Two-wave Comparison in the Czech Republic
Authors: Huang Yi , Lu Jinjin
Published: August 2022

Adolescents’ excessive electronic device use is associated with psychological problems. However, it is unknown which psychological symptom, including emotional symptoms and sleep difficulty, correlates with excessive electronic device use most strongly. Besides, according to the social displacement theory, parent–adolescent communication might mediate the relationship between excessive electronic device use and psychological symptoms. Using the Czech national survey Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) data in the years 2006 (n = 4782) and 2014 (n = 5082), we used network analysis to explore the relationship between psychological symptoms and excessive electronic device use. In addition, we conducted a mediation analysis to examine the role of parent–adolescent communication. The results revealed that excessive electronic device use correlated most strongly with adolescents’ irritability or bad temper, and this conclusion was stable in 2006 and 2014. In 2014, parent–adolescent communication mediated the relationship between adolescents’ excessive electronic device use and their psychological symptoms. The findings suggest that as the internet industry grows, it is essential to improve parent–adolescent communication quality to prevent adolescents’ psychological problems caused by excessive electronic device use.
Music Therapy Intervention in an Open Bay Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Room Is Associated with Less Noise and Higher Signal to Noise Ratios: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Arnon Shmuel , Epstein Shulamit , Ghetti Claire , Bauer-Rusek Sofia , Taitelbaum-Swead Riki , Yakobson Dana
Published: August 2022

Background: Noise reduction in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is important for neurodevelopment, but the impact of music therapy on noise is not yet known. Objective: To investigate the effect of music therapy (MT) on noise levels, and whether individual MT (IMT) or environmental MT (EMT) increases meaningful signal-to-noise ratios (SNR). Study design: This case-control study was conducted in a level III NICU. Noise levels were recorded simultaneously from two open bay rooms, with a maximum of 10 infants in each room: one with MT and the other without. MT sessions were carried out for approximately 45 min with either IMT or EMT, implemented according to the Rhythm Breath and Lullaby principles. Noise production data were recorded for 4 h on 26 occasions of EMT and IMT, and analyzed using R version 4.0.2 software. Results: Overall average equivalent continuous noise levels (Leq) were lower in the room with MT as compared to the room without MT (53.1 (3.6) vs. 61.4 (4.7) dBA, p = 0.02, d = 2.1 (CI, 0.82, 3.42). IMT was associated with lower overall Leq levels as compared to EMT (51.2 vs. 56.5 dBA, p = 0.04, d = 1.6 (CI, 0.53, 1.97). The lowest sound levels with MT occurred approximately 60 min after the MT started (46 ± 3.9 dBA), with a gradual increase during the remaining recording time, but still significantly lower compared to the room without MT. The SNR was higher (18.1 vs. 10.3 dBA, p = 0.01, d = 2.8 (CI, 1.3, 3.86)) in the room with MT than in the room without MT. Conclusion: Integrating MT modalities such as IMT and EMT in an open bay NICU room helps reduce noise. Both MT modalities resulted in higher SNR compared to the control room, which may indicate that they are meaningful for the neurodevelopment of preterm infants.
Effect of Small Volume Blood Sampling on the Outcomes of Very Low Birth Weight Preterm Infants
Authors: Su Pin-Chun , Chung Hao-Wei , Yang Shu-Ting , Chen Hsiu-Lin
Published: August 2022

Very low birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants universally experience anemia of prematurity (AOP) while growing up. The effects of reduced blood sample volume on AOP, packed red blood cell (PRBC) transfusion, and outcome in VLBW preterm infants were examined in this study. To reduce blood loss due to phlebotomy, we set up a small volume blood sampling procedure in VLBW infants. In this retrospective study, we compared the VLBW infants who had undergone standard blood sampling (control group, n = 20) with those who underwent small volume blood sampling (study group, n = 84), with both groups receiving PRBC transfusion under restrictive criteria. Blood loss from phlebotomy and PRBC transfusion volume over 30 days was significantly lower in the study group than in the control group. Compared to the control group, hematocrit, reticulocyte, and iron levels were significantly higher in the study group. There were no significant differences in the proportion of patent ductus arteriosus, severe intraventricular hemorrhage, retinopathy of prematurity, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia between the two groups. The small volume blood sampling resulted in lower PRBC transfusion volume, less severe anemia, and greater bone marrow function at 30 days of age. This strategy can reduce potential adverse effects of PRBC transfusion in VLBW preterm infants.
Trend of Bioactive Molecules and Biomaterial Coating in Promoting Tendon—Bone Healing
Authors: Fu Zhiwei , Yang Chunxi
Published: August 2022

The tendon-bone junction (TBJ) is a graded structure consisting of tendons, nonmineralised, and mineralised fibrocartilage and bone. Given the complex gradient of the TBJ structure, TBJ healing is particularly challenging. Injuries to the TBJ such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears and rotator cuff injuries are common and serious sports injuries, affecting more than 250,000 patients annually in the United States, particularly people older than 50 years. ACL reconstruction and rotator cuff repair are the commonly performed TBJ repair surgeries. However, the re-tear rate is high post-operation. In recent years, studies on improving TBJ healing have focused on promoting tendon-bone integration at tendon sites. This process includes the use of periosteum, hydrogels, scaffolds, growth factors, stem cells or other reconstruction materials that promote bone growth or ligament attachment. In this study, we will highlight the utilisation of the unique properties of biomaterial coating in promoting tendon-bone healing and discuss recent advances in understanding their role in TBJ healing. Furthermore, we aim to provide a systematic and comprehensive review of approaches to promoting TBJ healing.
Developing New Method in Measuring City Economic Resilience by Imposing Disturbances Factors and Unwanted Condition
Authors: Purwandari Titi , Sukono  , Hidayat Yuyun , Ahmad Wan Muhamad Amir W.
Published: August 2022

Recent research uses an index to measure economic resilience, but the index is inadequate because it is impossible to determine which disturbance factors have the greatest impact on the economic resilience of cities. This study aims to develop a new methodology to measure the economic resilience of a city by simultaneously examining unwanted conditions and disturbance factors. The ratio of regional original income to the number of poor people is known as Z and is identified as a measure of economic resilience in Indonesia. Resilience is measured by Z’s position in relation to the unwanted area following a specific level of disturbance. If Z is in the unwanted condition, the city’s per capita income will decrease, and the city will be considered economically not resilient. The results of the analysis show that six levels of economic resilience have been successfully distinguished based on research on 514 cities in Indonesia involving nine indicators of disturbance and one variable of economic resilience during the five-year observation period, 2015–2019. Only 3.11 percent of cities have economic resilience level 1, while 69.18 percent have level 0. Economically resilient cities consist of 4.24 percent of cities at level 2, as much as 3.39 percent at level 3, as much as 3.39 percent at level 4, and as much as 16.69 percent at level 5. The novelty of this research is to provide a new methodology for measuring the economic resilience of cities by integrating unwanted conditions as necessary conditions and disturbance factors as sufficient conditions. The measurement of a city’s economic resilience is critical to help the city government assess the security of the city so the government can take preventive actions to avoid the cities falling into unwanted conditions.
Safety Assessment of Nanomaterials in Cosmetics: Focus on Dermal and Hair Dyes Products
Authors: Coimbra Sara Cabanas , Sousa-Oliveira Inês , Ferreira-Faria Inês , Peixoto Diana , Pereira-Silva Miguel , Mathur Ankita , Pawar Kiran D. , Raza Faisal , Mazzola Priscila Gava , Mascarenhas-Melo Filipa , Veiga Francisco , Paiva-Santos Ana Cláudia
Published: August 2022

Nanomaterials use in cosmetics is markedly enhancing, so their exposure and toxicity are important parameters to consider for their risk assessment. This review article provides an overview of the active cosmetic ingredients used for cosmetic application, including dermal cosmetics and also hair dye cosmetics, as well as their safety assessment, enriched with a compilation of the safety assessment tests available to evaluate the different types of toxicity. In fact, despite the increase in research and the number of papers published in the field of nanotechnology, the related safety assessment is still insufficient. To elucidate the possible effects that nanosized particles can have on living systems, more studies reproducing similar conditions to what happens in vivo should be conducted, particularly considering the complex interactions of the biological systems and active cosmetic ingredients to achieve newer, safer, and more efficient nanomaterials. Toward this end, ecological issues and the toxicological pattern should also be a study target.
A Case of IgG and IgA Anti-Laminin-332 Antibody-Positive Mucous Membrane Pemphigoid with IgG and IgA Anti-Envoplakin and Anti-Periplakin Antibodies
Authors: Matsushima Yoshiaki , Kitano Masako , Hayashi Daisuke , Goto Hiroyuki , Mine Mako , Yokoe Takeshi , Kondo Makoto , Habe Koji , Toiyama Yuji , Hashimoto Takashi , Tsuruta Daisuke , Takeuchi Kazuhiko , Yamanaka Keiichi
Published: August 2022

A 76-year-old Japanese man presented with a 6-year history of a sore throat. He was treated at several clinics without any improvement before being referred to us. Physical examination revealed widespread erosions and ulcers from the palate to the larynx. Approximately 25 × 15 mm in size, erosive lesions were present on the retroauricular regions, forearms, and glans penis. Pseudomembranous conjunctivitis was also observed. The skin biopsy revealed a partial cleft formation below the epidermis, suggesting subepidermal bullous disease. Immuno-serological tests were negative for anti-desmoglein 1 (Dsg1), anti-Dsg3, anti-BP180, and anti-BP230 antibodies by ELISAs. A whole-body examination revealed gastric cancer. The possibility of mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) or paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP) was considered. Indirect immunofluorescence using rat bladders showed positive IgG reactivity with cell surfaces on the transitional epithelia. Immunoblotting using recombinant proteins of laminin-332 showed both IgG and IgA reactivities with laminin-α3, and immunoblotting using normal human epidermal extract showed double-positive reactivities with envoplakin and periplakin for both IgG and IgA antibodies. Based on the clinical and histopathological features and results of various immuno-serological tests, our case was diagnosed as anti-laminin-332-type MMP with serological findings of PNP. Twenty days after laparoscopic gastrectomy, treatment with oral methylprednisolone 32 mg/day was initiated, and mucosal and skin lesions improved.
Development of Novel Residual-Dense-Attention (RDA) U-Net Network Architecture for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Segmentation
Authors: Chen Wen-Fan , Ou Hsin-You , Lin Han-Yu , Wei Chia-Po , Liao Chien-Chang , Cheng Yu-Fan , Pan Cheng-Tang
Published: August 2022

The research was based on the image recognition technology of artificial intelligence, which is expected to assist physicians in making correct decisions through deep learning. The liver dataset used in this study was derived from the open source website (LiTS) and the data provided by the Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. CT images were used for organ recognition and lesion segmentation; the proposed Residual-Dense-Attention (RDA) U-Net can achieve high accuracy without the use of contrast. In this study, U-Net neural network was used to combine ResBlock in ResNet with Dense Block in DenseNet in the coder part, allowing the training to maintain the parameters while reducing the overall recognition computation time. The decoder was equipped with Attention Gates to suppress the irrelevant areas of the image while focusing on the significant features. The RDA model was used to identify and segment liver organs and lesions from CT images of the abdominal cavity, and excellent segmentation was achieved for the liver located on the left side, right side, near the heart, and near the lower abdomen with other organs. Better recognition was also achieved for large, small, and single and multiple lesions. The study was able to reduce the overall computation time by about 28% compared to other convolutions, and the accuracy of liver and lesion segmentation reached 96% and 94.8%, with IoU values of 89.5% and 87%, and AVGDIST of 0.28 and 0.80, respectively.
The Potential of Digital Impression in Orthodontics
Authors: Saccomanno Sabina , Saran Stefano , Vanella Valeria , Mastrapasqua Rodolfo Francesco , Raffaelli Luca , Levrini Luca
Published: August 2022

Background: Over the past 20 years, there have been many innovations in orthodontic diagnosis and therapy. Among the innovations, there is the taking of dental impressions (DIs). Dental impressions are the negative imprint of hard and soft tissues of one or both arches, and they allow a plaster model to be formed, i.e., a positive reproduction. Traditional dental impressions can be made of different materials, such as alginate, while digital impression is captured by an intra-oral scanner. Digital impression, despite the evident advantages, has not yet replaced the conventional impression. The aim of this study is to evaluate which dental impressions are the most used by dentists. For this purpose, we considered 120 questionnaires sent electronically to patients of different dental private practices from different countries, where the dentists can use both techniques. The results highlighted that the kind of impression adopted is very much influenced by the type of therapy and orthodontic devices used in the treatment. We can conclude that, despite the advent of digital technology, conventional impressions are still used for fixed devices, while digital impressions are more adopted for orthodontic customized devices and therapies with clear aligners, that are very widespread among adult patients.
Effects of Flight and Smoothing Parameters on the Detection of Taxus and Olive Trees with UAV-Borne Imagery
Authors: Ottoy Sam , Tziolas Nikolaos , Van Meerbeek Koenraad , Aravidis Ilias , Tilkin Servaas , Sismanis Michail , Stavrakoudis Dimitris , Gitas Ioannis Z. , Zalidis George , De Vocht Alain
Published: August 2022

Recent technical and jurisdictional advances, together with the availability of low-cost platforms, have facilitated the implementation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in individual tree detection (ITD) applications. UAV-based photogrammetry or structure from motion is an example of such a low-cost technique, but requires detailed pre-flight planning in order to generate the desired 3D-products needed for ITD. In this study, we aimed to find the most optimal flight parameters (flight altitude and image overlap) and processing options (smoothing window size) for the detection of taxus trees in Belgium. Next, we tested the transferability of the developed marker-controlled segmentation algorithm by applying it to the delineation of olive trees in an orchard in Greece. We found that the processing parameters had a larger effect on the accuracy and precision of ITD than the flight parameters. In particular, a smoothing window of 3 × 3 pixels performed best (F-scores of 0.99) compared to no smoothing (F-scores between 0.88 and 0.90) or a window size of 5 (F-scores between 0.90 and 0.94). Furthermore, the results show that model transferability can still be a bottleneck as it does not capture management induced characteristics such as the typical crown shape of olive trees (F-scores between 0.55 and 0.61).
The Impact of Uncertainty on Trade: The Case for a Small Port
Authors: Sidek Noor Zahirah Mohd , Kiranantawat Bhuk , Khaengkhan Martusorn
Published: August 2022

In the present paper, we show how uncertainty emanating from fluctuations in economic uncertainty, news-based uncertainty, and geopolitical risks affect the number of containers exported from Thailand via Penang Port, Malaysia. Our sample extends from January 2009 to May 2020 from three main entry points in the Northern Peninsular Malaysia–Thailand Border: Padang Besar, Surat Thani, and Bukit Kayu Hitam. Two modes of transportation of containers are mainly used for export purposes, namely, road and rai. This study examines the nonlinear effect of uncertainty on trade by employing a two-regime Markov regime-switching approach. The empirical results show that, overall, uncertainty significantly affects the movement of containers in the high-uncertainty regime. Therefore, small ports must continue to diversify their client base to cushion the impact of fluctuations in global trade due to uncertainty.
Pretense or Belief: Creating Meaningful Scenarios and Simulations for Authentic Learning about Diverse Underserved Gifted Students
Authors: Eriksson Gillian
Published: August 2022

Understanding of the complexity of gifted students who present with an intersection of unique profiles of abilities and challenges, cultural, ethnic, gender and linguistic perspectives, learning experiences across contexts and personal expectations remains a challenge in identifying and serving diverse gifted students. Training teachers to recognize talent and high ability in these diverse populations remains a central problem in addressing issues of underrepresentation and providing a differentiated curriculum to meet their unique needs. The use of scenarios and simulations offers ways to observe, engage, interact and practice strategies in the post-pandemic online and hybrid learning modes, as demonstrated through a simulated classroom of diverse gifted learners. Presented here are ways to ensure that the scenarios and simulations can be designed to be authentic and present cases that approximate real students so that teachers can transcend the ‘pretense’ into ‘belief’ with real lessons and develop knowledge and skills to address the needs of underserved gifted students.
A Study on Analysis Method for a Real-Time Neurofeedback System Using Non-Invasive Magnetoencephalography
Authors: Yagi Kazuhiro , Shibahara Yuta , Tate Lindsey , Tamura Hiroki
Published: August 2022

For diseases that affect brain function, such as strokes, post-onset rehabilitation plays a critical role in the wellbeing of patients. MEG is a technique with high temporal and spatial resolution that measures brain functions non-invasively, and it is widely used for clinical applications. Without the ability to concurrently monitor patient brain activity in real-time, the most effective rehabilitation cannot occur. To address this problem, it is necessary to develop a neurofeedback system that can aid rehabilitation in real time; however, doing so requires an analysis method that is quick (less processing time means the patient can better connect the feedback to their mental state), encourages brain-injured patients towards task-necessary neural oscillations, and allows for the spatial location of those oscillation patterns to change over the course of the rehabilitation. As preliminary work to establish such an analysis method, we compared three decomposition methods for their speed and accuracy in detecting event-related synchronization (ERS) and desynchronization (ERD) in a healthy brain during a finger movement task. We investigated FastICA with 10 components, FastICA with 20 components, and spatio-spectral decomposition (SSD). The results showed that FastICA with 10 components was the most suitable for real-time monitoring due to its combination of accuracy and analysis time.
Booking Public Charging: User Preferences and Behavior towards Public Charging Infrastructure with a Reservation Option
Authors: Hardinghaus Michael , Anderson John Erik , Nobis Claudia , Stark Kerstin , Vladova Galya
Published: August 2022

Electric vehicles offer a means to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in passenger transport. The availability of reliable charging infrastructure is crucial for the successful uptake of electric vehicles in dense urban areas. In a pilot project in the city of Hamburg, Germany, public charging infrastructure was equipped with a reservation option providing exclusive access for local residents and businesses. The present paper combines quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate the effects of the newly introduced neighborhood charging concept. We use a methodology combining a quantitative questionnaire survey and qualitative focus group discussions as well as analyses of charging infrastructure utilization data. Results show that inner-city charging and parking options are of key importance for (potential) users of electric vehicles. Hence, the neighborhood concept is rated very positively. Providing guaranteed charging and parking facilities is therefore likely to increase the stock of EVs. On the other hand, this could to a large extent lead to additional cars with consequential disadvantages. The study shows that openly accessible infrastructure is presently utilized much more intensely than the exclusive option. Consequentially, the concept evaluated should be part of an integrated approach managing parking and supporting efficient concepts like car sharing.
Analysis of Energy Loss on a Tunable Check Valve through the Numerical Simulation
Authors: Lisowski Edward , Filo Grzegorz , Rajda Janusz
Published: August 2022

The article presents a study of the flow through a tunable check valve used as a hydraulic lock in a system with an actuator. Special attention is given to energy losses of the liquid stream in the poppet gap. In the first stage of the research, CFD methods were used to determine the speed and pressure distributions for the fixed values of the input flow rate and the poppet position. The values of the jet angle and pressures determined based on the CFD results were used to build a simulation model of the entire hydraulic system in Matlab/Simulink environment. The influence of the spring parameters pressing the poppet against the valve seat on the pressure drop and thus on the amount of energy lost was investigated. In particular, the spring stiffness and initial tension were studied. The obtained results were used to develop guidelines for constructing a valve prototype. Finally, the results of simulation tests were verified based on the actual valve characteristic obtained on a test bench.
Measurement of Gas Flow Rate at Gasification of Low-Melting Materials in a Flow-Through Gas Generator
Authors: Vnuchkov Dmitry A. , Zvegintsev Valery I. , Nalivaichenko Denis G. , Frolov Sergey M.
Published: August 2022

A semi-empirical method is proposed for determining the rate of gas production in a flow-through gas generator (GG) with the allocation of a part of the gas flow produced by gasification of a low-melting solid material (LSM) in the total gas flow rate through the GG. The method is verified by test fires with polypropylene sample gasification by hot air under conditions of incoming supersonic flow with Mach number 2.43, 2.94, and 3.81 and stagnation temperature 600–700 K. The mean flow rates of gasification products obtained in test fires were 0.08 kg/s at Mach 2.43, 0.10 kg/s at Mach 2.94, and 0.05–0.02 kg/s at Mach 3.81. For obtaining 1 kg of gasification products in the test fires there was a need of 1.61 to 2.86 kg of gasifying agent.
Editorial for the Special Issue “Verifying the Targets—Selected Papers from the 55th International Universities Power Engineering Conference (UPEC 2020)”
Authors: Chicco Gianfranco , Mazza Andrea , Musumeci Salvatore , Pons Enrico , Russo Angela
Published: August 2022

The 55th International Universities Power Engineering Conference (UPEC 2020) has been held on 1–4 September 2020 in the Virtual Conference mode because of the limitations due to the pandemics, hosted by Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy [...]
Environmental and Energy Conditions in Sustainable Regional Development
Authors: Klemens Brygida , Solga Brygida , Heffner Krystian , Gibas Piotr
Published: August 2022

Climate change is taking place on a global scale and it is substantially affected by human activity, including increasing greenhouse gas emissions. One of the thematic objectives of EU’s new financial objective is a more environmentally friendly low-emission Europe that promotes clean and fair energy transformation, green investments, and a circular economy, among others. The Polish economy is mainly based on energy production from conventional sources (fossil fuels). Considering that the demand for electricity in Poland is predicted to increase by as much as 50% until 2040, it is necessary to take action aimed at increasing the share of renewable energy sources. The subject of analysis is the Opolskie Voivodeship (a NUTS 2 type region), the capital of which features the biggest Polish coal power plant. In 2014–2019, it was expanded by two units with 1800 MW in total capacity, thereby indicating that investments in energy obtained from conventional sources are still implemented and to a large extent at that (the expansion has been the biggest infrastructural investment in Poland since 1989). The Opolskie region is characterised by substantial excess in acceptable environmental burden (dust pollution, among others). The aim of the paper is to evaluate the key environmental conditions for the Opolskie region’s development in terms of the assumptions of the domestic and EU energy policies. The Opolskie region’s developmental challenges in the environmental area were determined on the basis of selected indicator estimations up to 2030. The research hypothesis assumes that the environmental conditions for the Opolskie region’s development are unfavourable. The methodological part features an analysis of the cause and effect dependencies in the “environment” area, which enabled an assessment of the Opolskie Voivodeship’s current situation as well as an analysis of the dependencies relevant to the region’s development. This was followed by an estimation of selected indicators in the “environment” area until 2030, which allowed for an assessment of their probable levels and thereby a specification of the region’s development conditions. The estimation was conducted using the data available in public statistics, i.e., Statistics Poland’s data. The indicators estimated for 2030 were presented using three forecasting methods: (a) the monotonic trend, (b) the yearly average change rate, and (c) the logarithmic trend.
Review on Boiling Heat Transfer Enhancement Techniques
Authors: Meena Chandan Swaroop , Kumar Ashwani , Roy Sanghati , Cannavale Alessandro , Ghosh Aritra
Published: August 2022

Boiling is considered an important mode of heat transfer (HT) enhancement and has several industrial cooling applications. Boiling has the potential to minimize energy losses from HT devices, compared with other convection or conduction modes of HT enhancement. The purpose of this review article was to analyze, discuss, and compare existing research on boiling heat transfer enhancement techniques from the last few decades. We sought to understand the effect of nucleation sites on plain and curved surfaces and on HT enhancement, to suggest future guidelines for researchers to consider. This would help both research and industry communities to determine the best surface structure and surface manufacturing technique for a particular fluid. We discuss pool boiling HT enhancement, and present conclusions and recommendations for future research.
Boldness in Zebrafish Larvae—Development and Differences between a Domesticated Lab Strain and Offspring of Wild-Caught Fish
Authors: Axling Johanna , Jakobsson Hampus , Frymus Natalia , Thörnqvist Per-Ove , Petersson Erik , Winberg Svante
Published: August 2022

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are becoming one of the most important model organisms in behavioural neuroscience. It has been shown repeatedly that different zebrafish strains show large behavioural differences. These divergent behavioural profiles may have a genetic basis, but environmental factors and previous experience are also known to greatly affect the behavioural phenotype of zebrafish. It could be expected that behavioural differences at the larval stage should be less affected by environmental factors and experience. In the present study, we screened larvae of zebrafish of the AB strain and offspring of wild-caught zebrafish for boldness, using an open field test. In order to follow the behavioural development, we studied larvae at the age of 5-, 7-, 12- and 30-days post fertilization (dpf). Behaviour, as well as behavioural development, clearly differed between the larvae of the different strains. Wild larvae showed larger total distance moved than AB larvae, both at light and dark conditions. These differences were already present at 12 dpf but became more pronounced with age. Wild larvae had a greater variance compared to AB larvae for most of the variables. We have previously shown that bold and shy adult zebrafish differ in the brain expression of dopamine and opioid receptors. The results of the current study show that wild larvae display significantly higher brain expression of drd2b than AB larvae at 30 dpf, a difference that could be related to differences in activity. We did not detect any differences in the expression of opioid receptors.