bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Human Biomonitoring Data in Health Risk Assessments Published in Peer-Reviewed Journals between 2016 and 2021: Confronting Reality after a Preliminary Review
Authors: Bizjak Tine , Capodiferro Marco , Deepika Deepika , Dinçkol Öykü , Dzhedzheia Vazha , Lopez-Suarez Lorena , Petridis Ioannis , Runkel Agneta A. , Schultz Dayna R. , Kontić Branko
Published: March 2022

Human biomonitoring (HBM) is a rapidly developing field that is emphasized as an important approach for the assessment of health risks. However, its value for health risk assessment (HRA) remains to be clarified. We performed a review of publications concerned with applications of HBM in the assessment of health risks. The selection of publications for this review was limited by the search engines used (only PubMed and Scopus) and a timeframe of the last five years. The review focused on the clarity of 10 HRA elements, which influence the quality of HRA. We show that the usage of HBM data in HRA is limited and unclear. Primarily, the key HRA elements are not consistently applied or followed when using HBM in such assessments, and secondly, there are inconsistencies regarding the understanding of fundamental risk analysis principles and good practices in risk analysis. Our recommendations are as follows: (i) potential usage of HBM data in HRA should not be non-critically overestimated but rather limited and aligned to a specific value for exposure assessment or for the interpretation of health damage; (ii) improvements to HRA approaches, using HBM information or not, are needed and should strictly follow theoretical foundations of risk analysis.
Research on Digital Inclusive Finance Promoting the Integration of Rural Three-Industry
Authors: Ge Heping , Li Bowen , Tang Decai , Xu Hao , Boamah Valentina
Published: March 2022

The development of digital financial inclusion helps create a healthy rural financial ecological environment and plays an important role in integrating rural tertiary industries. This paper incorporates digital financial inclusion into the rural tertiary industry integration research framework. Furthermore, it adopts the double-difference method to empirically analyze the impact of the development of digital financial inclusion on rural tertiary industry integration from the perspective of policy impact. In addition, it considers regional differences in the financial ecological environment; robustness tests were carried out using methods such as placebo tests and validated the conduction mechanism. The study through the double-difference model found that digital financial inclusion is very conducive to promoting rural tertiary industry integration; using the quantile DID (difference in differences) method to analyze the heterogeneity, it is concluded that there is a heterogeneous impact on rural tertiary industry integration. It exerts a more significant improvement in provinces and cities with higher rural tertiary industry integration levels. Constructing an intermediary effect model to verify the transmission mechanism concludes that the policy has promoted the improvement of rural tertiary industry integration efficiency by promoting technological innovation, improving agricultural modernization, and building a risk-sharing mechanism. Finally, it puts forward policy recommendations from optimizing the financial ecological environment, rationally allocating financial resources, and perfecting the transmission mechanism.
Awareness of COVID-19 Symptoms, Risk Factors, and Vaccinations in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Krzystanek Ewa , Jurczak Agata , Kocur Kinga , Jurkiewicz Jakub , Kaczmarczyk Aleksandra
Published: March 2022

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most common chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system, affecting around 2.8 million people worldwide. Patients’ knowledge about COVID-19 infection, and their proper protective actions, may reduce the risk of infection. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of patients with MS about SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 illness, the relationship between MS and COVID-19, willingness to be vaccinated, and the impact of the pandemic on MS care. An original, anonymous, 35-items, self-reported questionnaire was used in both web-based and on-site survey formats. Two-hundred and forty-eight questionnaires were analyzed (mean age 40.8 ± 10.6 years, 77.8% women). Participants reported the use of multiple sources of information, and the most common were websites (77.8%) and television (59.3%). The majority of participants knew the correct symptoms of COVID-19 or transmission routes (94.4%), and accepted the pandemic’s restrictions (96.8%). A total of 93.2% considered SARS-CoV-2 as highly infectious, and 69% thought they were at higher risk of being infected with SARS-CoV-2, mainly because of immunodeficiency (82.7%). Although most of them were afraid of COVID-19 (69.0%), only two-thirds wanted to be vaccinated. Patients who were afraid of COVID-19 had a 3.5-times higher chance to declare willingness for vaccination. A total of 29.8% patients claimed that the COVID-19 pandemic limited access to the healthcare system. This study shows that Polish patients with MS represent a good level of knowledge about COVID-19 disease, and acceptance for public rules, but their willingness for vaccinations is not sufficient. Country-wide educational campaigns should be conducted, particularly on the internet and TV. Restrictions in healthcare facilities should be balanced to secure access for patients with MS.
Sex Differences between Medical Students in the Assessment of the Fear of COVID-19
Authors: Trapp Maria del Carmen , Wiskur Brandt J. , Suh Joy H. , Brand Michael W. , Kuhn Katrin G. , Rojas Julio
Published: March 2022

Background: Differing expressions of the fear of COVID-19 between men and women can potentially increase both immediate and long-term physical health risks. We predicted that women students would express greater fear of COVID-19. Methods: We used an Internet-delivered Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) to assess fear among men (n = 100) and women (n = 272) from a larger population of academic medical center members (n = 1761). Sex differences in emotional and physical symptoms were assessed as subcategories within fear scores. Results: Women reported greater fear of COVID-19 than men (p < 0.001). Women reported greater emotional fear (p < 0.001) on specific scale items (thinking of COVID-19, watching news stories about COVID-19, and losing sleep due to fear of contracting COVID-19). Discussion/Conclusions: These results provide a better understanding of how fear of COVID-19 can differ based on sex and how that fear may be expressed differently through emotional and physical symptoms. This information will inform academic health centers of COVID-19 prevention and management policies that may include a gender-specific focus.
Trends in Primary Mental Health Care Service Use and Subsequent Self-Harm in Western Sydney Australia: Policy and Workforce Implications
Authors: Munasinghe Sithum , Page Andrew , Sperandei Sandro , Gaur Pankaj , Ferdousi Shahana , Mannan Haider , Brakoulias Vlasios
Published: March 2022

Background: This study investigated the trends in primary mental health care (PMHC) service use and hospital-treated self-harm in Western Sydney (Australia). Methods: A data linkage study and descriptive ecological study of PMHC referrals investigated the trends in referrals, treatment attendance, hospital-treated self-harm, and health care practitioners (HCPs) for the period of 2013−2018 (n = 19,437). Results: There was a substantial increase in referrals from 2016. The majority of referrals were females (60.9%), those aged <45 years (71.3%), and those presenting with anxiety or affective disorders (78.9%). Referrals of those at risk of suicide increased from 9.7% in 2013 to 17.8% in 2018. There were 264 (2.2%) cases of subsequent hospital-treated self-harm, with higher rates among those at risk of suicide and those who attended <6 sessions. The number of HCPs per referral also increased from 2013, as did waiting times for treatment initiation. Conclusion: Individuals presenting to PMHC services at risk of suicide, and who subsequently presented to a hospital setting following self-harm, were more likely to either not attend services following a referral or to attend fewer services. This trend occurred in the context of an increase in the number of clients per HCP, suggesting workforce capacity has not kept pace with demand.
Update on Diagnosis and Management of Onychophagia and Onychotillomania
Authors: Lee Debra K. , Lipner Shari R.
Published: March 2022

Onychophagia (nail biting) and onychotillomania (nail picking) are chronic nail conditions categorized as body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB) disorders. Due to a limited awareness of their clinical presentations, embarrassment on the part of patients, and/or comorbid psychiatric conditions, these conditions are frequently underrecognized and misdiagnosed. This article reviews the prevalence, etiology, diagnostic criteria, historical and physical exam findings, and treatment options for these conditions. The PubMed/MEDLINE database was searched for relevant articles. Onychophagia and onychotillomania are complex disorders necessitating a detailed patient history and physical examination and a multidisciplinary treatment approach for successful diagnosis and management. Due to the dearth of clinical trials for treatment of nail biting and nail picking, large clinical trials are necessary to establish standardized therapies.
Dysfunctional cGMP Signaling Leads to Age-Related Retinal Vascular Alterations and Astrocyte Remodeling in Mice
Authors: Holden Joseph M. , Al Hussein Al Awamlh Sara , Croteau Louis-Philippe , Boal Andrew M. , Rex Tonia S. , Risner Michael L. , Calkins David J. , Wareham Lauren K.
Published: March 2022

The nitric oxide–guanylyl cyclase-1–cyclic guanylate monophosphate (NO–GC-1–cGMP) pathway is integral to the control of vascular tone and morphology. Mice lacking the alpha catalytic domain of guanylate cyclase (GC1−/−) develop retinal ganglion cell (RGC) degeneration with age, with only modest fluctuations in intraocular pressure (IOP). Increasing the bioavailability of cGMP in GC1−/− mice prevents neurodegeneration independently of IOP, suggesting alternative mechanisms of retinal neurodegeneration. In continuation to these studies, we explored the hypothesis that dysfunctional cGMP signaling leads to changes in the neurovascular unit that may contribute to RGC degeneration. We assessed retinal vasculature and astrocyte morphology in young and aged GC1−/− and wild type mice. GC1−/− mice exhibit increased peripheral retinal vessel dilation and shorter retinal vessel branching with increasing age compared to Wt mice. Astrocyte cell morphology is aberrant, and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) density is increased in young and aged GC1−/− mice, with areas of dense astrocyte matting around blood vessels. Our results suggest that proper cGMP signaling is essential to retinal vessel morphology with increasing age. Vascular changed are preceded by alterations in astrocyte morphology which may together contribute to retinal neurodegeneration and loss of visual acuity observed in GC1−/− mice.
RNA Sequencing of Arabidopsis thaliana Seedlings after Non-Thermal Plasma-Seed Treatment Reveals Upregulation in Plant Stress and Defense Pathways
Authors: Waskow Alexandra , Guihur Anthony , Howling Alan , Furno Ivo
Published: March 2022

Not all agricultural practices are sustainable; however, non-thermal plasma treatment of seeds may be an eco-friendly alternative to improve macroscopic plant growth parameters. Despite the numerous successful results of plasma-seed treatments reported in the literature, there is a large gap in our understanding of how non-thermal plasma treatments affect seeds, especially due to the plethora of physical, chemical, and biological variables. This study uses RNA sequencing to characterize the changes in gene transcription in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. seeds 6 days after exposure to surface dielectric barrier discharge plasma treatment. Here, we provide an overview of all pathways that are differentially expressed where few genes are upregulated and many genes are downregulated. Our results reveal that plasma treatment time is a parameter that can activate different pathways in plant defense. An 80 s treatment upregulates the glucosinolate pathway, a defense response to insects and herbivores to deter feeding, whereas a shorter treatment of 60 s upregulates the phenylpropanoid pathway, which reinforces the cell wall with lignin and produces antimicrobial compounds, a defense response to bacterial or fungal plant pathogens. It seems that plasma elicits a wounding response from the seed in addition to redox changes. This suggests that plasma treatment can be potentially applied in agriculture to protect plants against abiotic and biotic stresses without discharging residues into the environment.
Signaling Pathways Impact on Induction of Corneal Epithelial-like Cells Derived from Human Wharton’s Jelly Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Nguyen Hong Thi , Theerakittayakorn Kasem , Somredngan Sirilak , Ngernsoungnern Apichart , Ngernsoungnern Piyada , Sritangos Pishyaporn , Ketudat-Cairns Mariena , Imsoonthornruksa Sumeth , Assawachananont Juthaporn , Keeratibharat Nattawut , Wongsan Rangsirat , Rungsiwiwut Ruttachuk , Laowtammathron Chuti , Bui Nguyen Xuan , Parnpai Rangsun
Published: March 2022

Corneal epithelium, the outmost layer of the cornea, comprises corneal epithelial cells (CECs) that are continuously renewed by limbal epithelial stem cells (LESCs). Loss or dysfunction of LESCs causes limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) which results in corneal epithelial integrity loss and visual impairment. To regenerate the ocular surface, transplantation of stem cell-derived CECs is necessary. Human Wharton’s jelly derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) are a good candidate for cellular therapies in allogeneic transplantation. This study aimed to test the effects of treatments on three signaling pathways involved in CEC differentiation as well as examine the optimal protocol for inducing corneal epithelial differentiation of human WJ-MSCs. All-trans retinoic acid (RA, 5 or 10 µM) inhibited the Wnt signaling pathway via suppressing the translocation of β-catenin from the cytoplasm into the nucleus. SB505124 downregulated the TGF-β signaling pathway via reducing phosphorylation of Smad2. BMP4 did not increase phosphorylation of Smad1/5/8 that is involved in BMP signaling. The combination of RA, SB505124, BMP4, and EGF for the first 3 days of differentiation followed by supplementing hormonal epidermal medium for an additional 6 days could generate corneal epithelial-like cells that expressed a CEC specific marker CK12. This study reveals that WJ-MSCs have the potential to transdifferentiate into CECs which would be beneficial for further applications in LSCD treatment therapy.
BoPEP4, a C-Terminally Encoded Plant Elicitor Peptide from Broccoli, Plays a Role in Salinity Stress Tolerance
Authors: Wang Anyi , Guo Jingsong , Wang Sibo , Zhang Ying , Lu Fangfang , Duan Jingbin , Liu Zhao , Ji Wei
Published: March 2022

Plant peptide hormones play various roles in plant development, pathogen defense and abiotic stress tolerance. Plant elicitor peptides (Peps) are a type of damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) derived from precursor protein PROPEPs. In this study, we identified nine PROPEP genes in the broccoli genome. qRT-PCR analysis indicated that the expression levels of BoPROPEPs were induced by NaCl, ABA, heat, SA and P. syringae DC3000 treatments. In order to study the functions of Peps in salinity stress response, we synthesized BoPep4 peptide, the precursor gene of which, BoPROPEP4, was significantly responsive to NaCl treatment, and carried out a salinity stress assay by exogenous application of BoPep4 in broccoli sprouts. The results showed that the application of 100 nM BoPep4 enhanced tolerance to 200 mM NaCl in broccoli by reducing the Na+/K+ ratio and promoting accumulation of wax and cutin in leaves. Further RNA-seq analysis identified 663 differentially expressed genes (DGEs) under combined treatment with BoPep4 and NaCl compared with NaCl treatment, as well as 1776 genes differentially expressed specifically upon BoPep4 and NaCl treatment. GO and KEGG analyses of these DEGs indicated that most genes were enriched in auxin and ABA signal transduction, as well as wax and cutin biosynthesis. Collectively, this study shows that there was crosstalk between peptide hormone BoPep4 signaling and some well-established signaling pathways under salinity stress in broccoli sprouts, which implies an essential function of BoPep4 in salinity stress defense.
Dependence of Structural, Morphological and Magnetic Properties of Manganese Ferrite on Ni-Mn Substitution
Authors: Dippong Thomas , Levei Erika Andrea , Deac Iosif Grigore , Petean Ioan , Cadar Oana
Published: March 2022

This paper presents the influence of Mn2+ substitution by Ni2+ on the structural, morphological and magnetic properties of Mn1−xNixFe2O4@SiO2 (x = 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00) nanocomposites (NCs) obtained by a modified sol-gel method. The Fourier transform infrared spectra confirm the formation of a SiO2 matrix and ferrite, while the X-ray diffraction patterns show the presence of poorly crystalline ferrite at low annealing temperatures and highly crystalline mixed cubic spinel ferrite accompanied by secondary phases at high annealing temperatures. The lattice parameters gradually decrease, while the crystallite size, volume, and X-ray density of Mn1−xNixFe2O4@SiO2 NCs increase with increasing Ni content and follow Vegard’s law. The saturation magnetization, remanent magnetization, squareness, magnetic moment per formula unit, and anisotropy constant increase, while the coercivity decreases with increasing Ni content. These parameters are larger for the samples with the same chemical formula, annealed at higher temperatures. The NCs with high Ni content show superparamagnetic-like behavior, while the NCs with high Mn content display paramagnetic behavior.
NMR Structure and Biophysical Characterization of Thermophilic Single-Stranded DNA Binding Protein from Sulfolobus Solfataricus
Authors: Yang Min June , Kim Jinwoo , Lee Yeongjoon , Lee Woonghee , Park Chin-Ju
Published: March 2022

Proteins from Sulfolobus solfataricus (S. solfataricus), an extremophile, are active even at high temperatures. The single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) binding protein of S. solfataricus (SsoSSB) is overexpressed to protect ssDNA during DNA metabolism. Although SsoSSB has the potential to be applied in various areas, its structural and ssDNA binding properties at high temperatures have not been studied. We present the solution structure, backbone dynamics, and ssDNA binding properties of SsoSSB at 50 °C. The overall structure is consistent with the structures previously studied at room temperature. However, the loop between the first two β sheets, which is flexible and is expected to undergo conformational change upon ssDNA binding, shows a difference from the ssDNA bound structure. The ssDNA binding ability was maintained at high temperature, but different interactions were observed depending on the temperature. Backbone dynamics at high temperature showed that the rigidity of the structured region was well maintained. The investigation of an N-terminal deletion mutant revealed that it is important for maintaining thermostability, structure, and ssDNA binding ability. The structural and dynamic properties of SsoSSB observed at high temperature can provide information on the behavior of proteins in thermophiles at the molecular level and guide the development of new experimental techniques.
Neuroelectric Mechanisms of Delayed Cerebral Ischemia after Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: Suzuki Hidenori , Kawakita Fumihiro , Asada Reona
Published: March 2022

Delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) remains a challenging but very important condition, because DCI is preventable and treatable for improving functional outcomes after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The pathologies underlying DCI are multifactorial. Classical approaches to DCI focus exclusively on preventing and treating the reduction of blood flow supply. However, recently, glutamate-mediated neuroelectric disruptions, such as excitotoxicity, cortical spreading depolarization and seizures, and epileptiform discharges, have been reported to occur in high frequencies in association with DCI development after SAH. Each of the neuroelectric disruptions can trigger the other, which augments metabolic demand. If increased metabolic demand exceeds the impaired blood supply, the mismatch leads to relative ischemia, resulting in DCI. The neuroelectric disruption also induces inverted vasoconstrictive neurovascular coupling in compromised brain tissues after SAH, causing DCI. Although glutamates and the receptors may play central roles in the development of excitotoxicity, cortical spreading ischemia and epileptic activity-related events, more studies are needed to clarify the pathophysiology and to develop novel therapeutic strategies for preventing or treating neuroelectric disruption-related DCI after SAH. This article reviews the recent advancement in research on neuroelectric disruption after SAH.
Structural Insights into Human Adenovirus Type 4 Virus-Associated RNA I
Authors: Bergquist Helen , Inturi Raviteja , Zain Rula , Punga Tanel
Published: March 2022

RNA molecules can adopt specific RNA triplex structures to execute critical biological functions. Human adenoviruses (HAdVs) are abundant pathogens encoding the essential, noncoding virus-associated RNA I (VA RNAI). Here, we employ a triplex-specific probing assay, based on the intercalating and cleaving agent benzoquinoquinoxaline 1, 10-phenanthroline (BQQ–OP), to unravel a potential RNA triplex formation in VA RNAI. The BQQ–OP cleavage of the pathogenic HAdV type 4 (HAdV-4) VA RNAI indicates that a potential triplex is formed involving the highly conserved stem 4 of the central domain and side stem 7. Further, the integrity of the HAdV-4 VA RNAI side stem 7 contributes to a potential triplex formation in vitro and virus growth in vivo. Collectively, we propose that the HAdV-4 VA RNAI can potentially form a biologically relevant triplex structure.
High Prevalence of Scoliosis in a Large Cohort of Patients with Prader-Willi Syndrome
Authors: Crinò Antonino , Armando Michela , Crostelli Marco , Mazza Osvaldo , Bruzzese Dario , Convertino Alessio , Fintini Danilo , Bocchini Sarah , Ciccone Sara , Sartorio Alessandro , Grugni Graziano
Published: March 2022

The characteristics of scoliosis were investigated in a large cohort of children and adults with Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS), analysing the role of age, gender, puberty, body mass index (BMI), genotype and growth hormone therapy (GHT) on its onset and severity. A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed in 180 patients with genetically confirmed PWS (96 females), aged 17.6 ± 12 years. Eighty-five subjects (47%) were obese. One hundred and fifty subjects (83.3%) were on GHT, while 30 patients had never been treated. Overall, 150 subjects (83.3%) were affected by scoliosis, 80.2% of children and adolescents and 87.8% of adults. A mild degree of scoliosis was observed in 58 patients (38.7%), moderate in 43 (28.7%) and severe in 49 (32.6%). Median age at diagnosis of scoliosis was 6.3 years, while the severe forms were diagnosed earlier (median age: 3.8 years). The cumulative probability at 5 years of age was equal to 0.403 and almost doubled at 15 years. No significant associations were found between scoliosis and genotype, gender, pubertal stage, GHT and BMI. A corset was prescribed to 75 subjects (50%) at a median age of 7.5 years, while 26 subjects (17.3%) underwent surgery at a median age of 13.1 years. Our data indicate that scoliosis is one of the major concerns for PWS patients that increases with age, and therefore suggest the need for regular systematic monitoring of spinal deformity from paediatric age.
Conditions for Achieving Postoperative Pelvic Incidence-Lumbar Lordosis < 10° in Circumferential Minimally Invasive Surgery for Adult Spinal Deformity
Authors: Ishihara Masayuki , Taniguchi Shinichirou , Adachi Takashi , Tani Yoichi , Paku Masaaki , Ando Muneharu , Saito Takanori
Published: March 2022

This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of circumferential minimally invasive surgery (CMIS) using lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) and percutaneous pedicle screw (PPS) in adult spinal deformity (ASD) patients, and to clarify the conditions for achieving postoperative pelvic incidence-lumbar lordosis (PI-LL) < 10°. Demographics and other parameters of ASD patients who underwent CMIS and who were divided into groups G (achieved postoperative PI-LL < 10°) and P (PI-LL ≥ 10°) were compared. Of the 145 included ASD patients who underwent CMIS, the average fused level, bleeding volume, operative time, and number of intervertebral discs that underwent LLIF were 10.3 ± 0.5 segments, 723 ± 375 mL, 366 ± 70 min, and 4.0 segments, respectively. The rod material was titanium alloy in all the cases. The PI-LL significantly improved from 37.3 ± 17.9° to 1.2 ± 12.2° postoperatively. Pre- and postoperative PI, postoperative LL, preoperative PI-LL, PI-LL after LLIF, and postoperative PI-LL were significantly larger in group P. PI-LL after LLIF was identified as a significant risk factor of postoperative PI-LL < 10° by logistic regression, and the cut-off value on receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was 20°. Sufficient correction was achieved by CMIS. If PI-LL after LLIF was ≤20°, it was corrected to the ideal alignment by the PPS procedure.
Age and Growth of the Spot-Tail Shark, Carcharhinus sorrah, in the Taiwan Strait
Authors: Joung Shoou-Jeng , Hsu Zhi-Yu , Su Kuan-Yu , Liu Kwang-Ming
Published: March 2022

The age and growth of the spot-tail shark, Carcharhinus sorrah, were estimated based on 327 specimens (171 females and 156 males) captured by the coastal/offshore longline or drift net fishery in the waters of the Taiwan Strait from October 2010 to December 2011 and July 2019 to August 2021. Sex-specific whole weight (W)—curved total length (TL) relationships were estimated as follows: W = 7.0 × 10−6 TL2.9313 (n = 171, and p < 0.05) for females, and W = 4.0 × 10−6 TL3.0516 (n = 156, and p < 0.05) for males. The periodicity of growth band pair (including translucent and opaque bands) deposition in precaudal vertebrae was assumed to be 1 year based on centrum edge analysis and verified by a statistical analysis. The band pairs after the birth mark were counted as 0–5 and 0–8 for females and males, respectively. The Gompertz and von Bertalanffy growth function best described the observed length-at-age data for females and males, respectively. The parameters for sex-specific growth equations were estimated as: L∞ = 158.6 ± 9.09 cm TL, kG = 0.2347 ± 0.0245 year−1, and c = −0.3233 ± 0.2043 (n = 171, and p < 0.01) for females, and L∞ = 170.2 ± 9.51 cm TL, k = 0.1461 ± 0.0182 year−1, and t0 = −3.1586 ± 0.2065 (n = 156, and p < 0.01) for males.
Kinesin Motors in the Filamentous Basidiomycetes in Light of the Schizophyllum commune Genome
Authors: Raudaskoski Marjatta
Published: March 2022

Kinesins are essential motor molecules of the microtubule cytoskeleton. All eukaryotic organisms have several genes encoding kinesin proteins, which are necessary for various cell biological functions. During the vegetative growth of filamentous basidiomycetes, the apical cells of long leading hyphae have microtubules extending toward the tip. The reciprocal exchange and migration of nuclei between haploid hyphae at mating is also dependent on cytoskeletal structures, including the microtubules and their motor molecules. In dikaryotic hyphae, resulting from a compatible mating, the nuclear location, synchronous nuclear division, and extensive nuclear separation at telophase are microtubule-dependent processes that involve unidentified molecular motors. The genome of Schizophyllum commune is analyzed as an example of a species belonging to the Basidiomycota subclass, Agaricomycetes. In this subclass, the investigation of cell biology is restricted to a few species. Instead, the whole genome sequences of several species are now available. The analyses of the mating type genes and the genes necessary for fruiting body formation or wood degrading enzymes in several genomes of Agaricomycetes have shown that they are controlled by comparable systems. This supports the idea that the genes regulating the cell biological process in a model fungus, such as the genes encoding kinesin motor molecules, are also functional in other filamentous Agaricomycetes.
Selection of Polymorphic Patterns Obtained by RAPD-PCR through Qualitative and Quantitative Analyses to Differentiate Aspergillus fumigatus
Authors: Valencia-Ledezma Omar E. , Castro-Fuentes Carlos A. , Duarte-Escalante Esperanza , Frías-De-León María Guadalupe , Reyes-Montes María del Rocío
Published: March 2022

The objective of this work was to use the random amplification of the polymorphic DNA–polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) technique to select polymorphic patterns through qualitative and quantitative analyses to differentiate the species A. flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger and A. tubingensis. Twenty-seven Aspergillus isolates from different species were typified using phenotypic (macro- and micromorphology) and genotypic (partial BenA gene sequencing) methods. Thirty-four primers were used to obtain polymorphic patterns, and with these a qualitative analysis was performed to select the primers that presented species-specific patterns to distinguish each species. For the quantitative selection, a database was built from the polymorphic patterns and used for the construction of logistic regression models; later, the model that presented the highest value of sensitivity against specificity was evaluated through ROC curves. The qualitative selection showed that the primers OPA-19, P54, 1253 and OPA-02 could differentiate the species. A quantitative analysis was carried out through logistic regression, whereby a species-specific correlation of sensitivity and specificity greater than 90% was obtained for the primers: OPC-06 with a 96.32% match to A. flavus; OPF-01 with a 100% match to A. fumigatus; OPG-13 with a 98.01% match to A. tubingensis; and OPF-07 with a 99.71% match to A. niger. The primer OPF-01 discriminated the four species as well as closely related species. The quantitative methods using the selected primers allowed discrimination between species and showed their usefulness for genotyping some of the species of medical relevance belonging to the genus Aspergillus.
(Z)-2-{[(4-Chloro-5H-1,2,3-dithiazol-5-ylidene)amino](methylthio)methylene}malononitrile
Authors: Kalogirou Andreas S. , Koutentis Panayiotis A.
Published: March 2022

Reaction of 4,5-dichloro-1,2,3-dithiazolium chloride with 2-[amino(methylthio)methylene])malononitrile (1 equiv) in the presence of pyridine (2 equiv) gave (Z)-2-{[(4-chloro-5H-1,2,3-dithiazol-5-ylidene)amino](methylthio)methylene}malononitrile in 20% yield. The compound was fully characterized.
Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES)-Modified Nanohydroxyapatite (nHAp) Incorporated with Iron Oxide (IO) Nanoparticles Promotes Early Osteogenesis, Reduces Inflammation and Inhibits Osteoclast Activity
Authors: Marycz Krzysztof , Kornicka-Garbowska Katarzyna , Patej Adrian , Sobierajska Paulina , Kotela Andrzej , Turlej Eliza , Kepska Martyna , Bienko Alina , Wiglusz Rafal J.
Published: March 2022

Due to its increased prevalence, osteoporosis (OP) represents a great challenge to health care systems and brings an economic burden. To overcome these issues, treatment plans that suit the need of patients should be developed. One of the approaches focuses on the fabrication of personalized biomaterials, which can restore the balance and homeostasis of disease-affected bone. In the presented study, we fabricated nanometer crystalline hydroxyapatite (nHAp) and iron oxide (IO) nanoparticles stabilized with APTES and investigated whether they can modulate bone cell metabolism and be useful in the fabrication of personalized materials for OP patients. Using a wide range of molecular techniques, we have shown that obtained nHAp@APTES promotes viability and RUNX-2 expression in osteoblasts, as well as reducing activity of critical proinflammatory cytokines while inhibiting osteoclast activity. Materials with APTES modified with nHAp incorporated with IO nanoparticles can be applied to support the healing of osteoporotic bone fractures as they enhance metabolic activity of osteoblasts and diminish osteoclasts’ metabolism and inflammation.
Special Issue: Advances in Dental Bio-Nanomaterials
Authors: Komasa Satoshi , Okazaki Joji
Published: March 2022

Recent advances in dental materials involving the development of various biomaterials have been reported. Accordingly, clinicians must incorporate the new dental materials in their practice to respond to the increasing needs of patients. Nanotechnology is defined as a science that deals with nanoscale materials. The use of nanomaterials is gaining popularity in the dental industry for processing and manipulating nanoscale substances in modern dentistry. In this special issue, we invited the submission of several research papers on the development of dental materials. In this general discussion, we briefly explain the relevant research reports with an aim that developments in this field will contribute toward the development of dental care in the future.
The Accuracy of Open-Tray vs. Snap on Impression Techniques in A 6-Implant Model: An In Vitro 3D Study
Authors: Arieli Adi , Adawi Maram , Masri Mahmoud , Weinberg Evgeny , Beitlitum Ilan , Pilo Raphael , Levartovsky Shifra
Published: March 2022

To compare the three-dimensional accuracy of an open-tray and two snap on impression techniques (with and without connecting the plastic caps of the snap on impression transfers) in a full arch 6-implant model, a reference acrylic resin model of the maxilla with six implants was fabricated. Prominent geometrical triangles, in the palate area, served as reference points for a digital overlap between scans. Three impression transfer techniques were evaluated and compared: open-tray direct impression (DI), snap on impression (SpO), and connected snap on impression (SpOC). Polyether impression material was used to make 30 impressions (n = 10), and the master model and all casts were digitally scanned with a laboratory optical scanner. The obtained 3D data were converted and recorded as STL files, which were imported to a 3D inspection software program. Angular deviations (buccal, occlusal and interproximal planes) between the study casts and the reference model were measured. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey post hoc test, with 0.05 used as the level of significance. The 3D angular deviations from the master model revealed no significant differences between the DI and SpO impression groups, but there were significant differences in the SpOC impression group, particularly in the buccal and occlusal planes. In all groups, the 3D angular deviation between the most distal scan abutments on each side of the model was significantly different from all other areas when compared to the master model. Within the limits of this study, it is possible to conclude that the indirect closed tray snap on impression technique with unconnected plastic caps exhibited the same three-dimensional accuracies as the direct open tray technique. The indirect closed tray snap on impression technique with connected plastic caps was less accurate than either the indirect closed tray snap on impression technique with unconnected plastic caps or the direct open tray technique. In the case of full arch implant supported prostheses, inaccuracies may be expected in the most distal implants for all the three impression techniques evaluated in this study. Further in vitro and in vivo research is required.
Preparation and Characterization of Doxycycline-Loaded Electrospun PLA/HAP Nanofibers as a Drug Delivery System
Authors: Farkas Noémi-Izabella , Marincaș Laura , Barabás Réka , Bizo Liliana , Ilea Aranka , Turdean Graziella Liana , Toșa Monica , Cadar Oana , Barbu-Tudoran Lucian
Published: March 2022

The present study aimed to prepare nanofibers by electrospinning in the system polylactic acid-hydroxyapatite-doxycycline (PLA-HAP-Doxy) to be used as a drug delivery vehicle. Two different routes were employed for the preparation of Doxy-containing nanofibers: Immobilization on the electrospun mat’s surface and encapsulation in the fiber structure. The nanofibers obtained by Doxy encapsulation were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric (TG) and differential thermal analyses (DTA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The adsorption properties of pure PLA and PLA-HAP nanofibers were investigated for solutions with different Doxy concentrations (3, 7 and 12 wt%). Moreover, the desorption properties of the active substance were tested in two different fluids, simulated body fluid (SBF) and phosphate buffer solution (PBS), to evidence the drug release properties. In vitro drug release studies were performed and different drug release kinetics were assessed to confirm the use of these nanofiber materials as efficient drug delivery vehicles. The obtained results indicate that the PLA-HAP-Doxy is a promising system for biomedical applications, the samples with 3 and 7 wt% of Doxy-loaded PLA-HAP nanofibers prepared by physical adsorption are the most acceptable membranes to provide prolonged release in PBS/SBF rather than an immediate release of Doxy.
A Closer Look at Precision Hard Turning of AISI4340: Multi-Objective Optimization for Simultaneous Low Surface Roughness and High Productivity
Authors: Abbas Adel T. , Al-Abduljabbar Abdulhamid A. , Alnaser Ibrahim A. , Aly Mohamed F. , Abdelgaliel Islam H. , Elkaseer Ahmed
Published: March 2022

This article reports an extended investigation into the precision hard turning of AISI 4340 alloy steel when machined by two different types of inserts: wiper nose and conventional round nose. It provides a closer look at previously published work and aims at determining the optimal process parameters for simultaneously minimizing surface roughness and maximizing productivity. In the mathematical models developed by the authors, surface roughness at different cutting speeds, depths of cut and feed rates is treated as the objective function. Three robust multi-objective techniques, (1) multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA), (2) multi-objective Pareto search algorithm (MOPSA) and (3) multi-objective emperor penguin colony algorithm (MOEPCA), were used to determine the optimal turning parameters when either the wiper or the conventional insert is used, and the results were experimentally validated. To investigate the practicality of the optimization algorithms, two turning scenarios were used. These were the machining of the combustion chamber of a gun barrel, first with an average roughness (Ra) of 0.4 µm and then with 0.8 µm, under conditions of high productivity. In terms of the simultaneous achievement of both high surface quality and productivity in precision hard turning of AISI 4340 alloy steel, this work illustrates that MOPSA provides the best optimal solution for the wiper insert case, and MOEPCA results are the best for the conventional insert. Furthermore, the results extracted from Pareto front plots show that the wiper insert is capable of successfully meeting both the requirements of Ra values of 0.4 µm and 0.8 µm and high productivity. However, the conventional insert could not meet the 0.4 µm Ra requirement; the recorded global minimum was Ra = 0.454 µm, which reveals the superiority of the wiper compared to the conventional insert.
Applications of Certain p-Valently Analytic Functions
Authors: Oros Georgia , Oros Gheorghe , Owa Shigeyoshi
Published: March 2022

In this paper, a new operator Dsf, with s a real number, is defined considering functions that belong to the known class of p-valent analytic functions in the open unit disk U. Applying this operator, a new subclass of p-valently analytic functions is introduced and some interesting subordination- and coefficient-related properties of the functions in this class are discussed. It is also shown that for certain values given to the parameters involved in the definition of the class, p-valently starlike and p-valently convex functions of certain orders can be obtained, respectively. Examples are also given as applications of the newly proven results.
A Quantum Language-Inspired Tree Structural Text Representation for Semantic Analysis
Authors: Yu Yan , Qiu Dong , Yan Ruiteng
Published: March 2022

Text representation is an important topic in the field of natural language processing, which can effectively transfer knowledge to downstream tasks. To extract effective semantic information from text with unsupervised methods, this paper proposes a quantum language-inspired tree structural text representation model to study the correlations between words with variable distance for semantic analysis. Combining the different semantic contributions of associated words in different syntax trees, a syntax tree-based attention mechanism is established to highlight the semantic contributions of non-adjacent associated words and weaken the semantic weight of adjacent non-associated words. Moreover, the tree-based attention mechanism includes not only the overall information of entangled words in the dictionary but also the local grammatical structure of word combinations in different sentences. Experimental results on semantic textual similarity tasks show that the proposed method obtains significant performances over the state-of-the-art sentence embeddings.
On the Generalization of a Multiplicity Result
Authors: Galewski Marek
Published: March 2022

In this work, we shifted a recent multiplicity result by B. Ricceri from a Hilbert space to a Banach space setting by making use of a duality mapping relative to some increasing function. Using the min–max arguments, we provide conditions for an action functional to have at least two global minima.
An Emergency Quantity Discount Contract with Supplier Risk Aversion under the Asymmetric Information of Sales Costs
Authors: Huang Donghong , Pang Jinhui , Liu Lang , Wu Shuangsheng , Huang Taisheng
Published: March 2022

In the circumstance that unexpected events lead to the information asymmetry of sales costs, supplier risk aversion and stochastic price, this paper discusses the internal law of using an emergency quantity discount contract to coordinate the supply chain. First, the Conditional Value at Risk (CVaR) model of supplier risk aversion under the condition of information symmetry is constructed. In addition, the model is extended to the game model of the CVaR of supplier risk aversion under the condition of the asymmetric information of sales costs and solved. After that, the simulation test is performed. The results show that, firstly, under the condition of random price, the supplier risk aversion leads to the phenomenon of bifurcation and mutation in each decision variable of the supply chain system. Secondly, retailers can obtain excess profits by concealing private information, but this harms the interests of suppliers and the entire supply chain. Thirdly, suppliers with different risk attitudes should have different strategies concerning asymmetry in sales cost information. Fourthly, the more asymmetric the information for the sales costs, the more unstable the system. The conclusion is that the phenomenon of bifurcation mutation is the result of the coupling effect of price randomness and supplier risk aversion. The supply chain cannot coordinate in the bifurcation mutation region, but can coordinate outside of it. Hiding private information benefits those who own it, but harms the system as a whole.
The Vehicle Routing Problem with Simultaneous Pickup and Delivery and Parcel Lockers
Authors: Yu Vincent F. , Susanto Hadi , Yeh Yu-Hsuan , Lin Shih-Wei , Huang Yu-Tsung
Published: March 2022

Customers’ expectations of timely and accurate delivery and pickup of online purchases pose a new challenge to last-mile delivery. When the goods sent to customers are not received, they must be returned to the warehouse. This situation provides a high additional cost. Parcel locker systems and convenience stores have been launched to solve this problem and serve as pickup and payment stations. This research investigates a new last-mile distribution problem in the augmented system with three service modes: home delivery and pickup, parcel locker delivery and pickup, and home or parcel locker delivery and pickup. Previously, the simultaneous delivery and pickup problem with time windows (SDPPTW) only considered delivery and pickup to customers. The new problem proposed in this research addresses additional locker pickup and delivery options. The proposed problem is called the vehicle routing problem with simultaneous pickup and delivery and parcel lockers (VRPSPDPL). This research formulated a new mathematical model and developed two simulated annealing (SA) algorithms to solve the problem. The goal is to minimize the total traveling cost. Since there are no existing benchmark instances for the problem, we generate new instances based on SDPPTW benchmark instances. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithms are effective and efficient in solving VRPSPDPL.
Astaxanthin from Crustaceans and Their Byproducts: A Bioactive Metabolite Candidate for Therapeutic Application
Authors: Šimat Vida , Rathod Nikheel , Čagalj Martina , Hamed Imen , Generalić Mekinić Ivana
Published: March 2022

In recent years, the food, pharma, and cosmetic industries have shown considerable interest in bioactive molecules of marine origin that show high potential for application as nutraceuticals and therapeutic agents. Astaxanthin, a lipid-soluble and orange-reddish-colored carotenoid pigment, is one of the most investigated pigments. Natural astaxanthin is mainly produced from microalgae, and it shows much stronger antioxidant properties than its synthetic counterpart. This paper aims to summarize and discuss the important aspects and recent findings associated with the possible use of crustacean byproducts as a source of astaxanthin. In the last five years of research on the crustaceans and their byproducts as a source of natural astaxanthin, there are many new findings regarding the astaxanthin content in different species and new green extraction protocols for its extraction. However, there is a lack of information on the amounts of astaxanthin currently obtained from the byproducts as well as on the cost-effectiveness of the astaxanthin production from the byproducts. Improvement in these areas would most certainly contribute to the reduction of waste and reuse in the crustacean processing industry. Successful exploitation of byproducts for recovery of this valuable compound would have both environmental and social benefits. Finally, astaxanthin’s strong biological activity and prominent health benefits have been discussed in the paper.