bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Planning Strategy for Urban Building Energy Conservation Supported by Agent-Based Modeling
Authors: Song Shiyi , Leng Hong , Guo Ran
Published: December 2022

As a systematic, preventive, and structural adjustment method of improving building energy conservation and carbon emission reduction, urban planning has received extensive attention. However, due to the insufficient interface between energy-saving technology and urban planning systems, urban planning has not properly played a role in building energy conservation. Scientific and innovative technical methods are urgently needed to explore the role of coordinating multiple effective planning elements in overall building energy conservation through urban planning means. Due to climate conditions, there is high demand for conserving building energy in severe cold regions, but research into this has not been thoroughly carried out. Harbin, located in the northeast of China, belongs to the Dwa zone of the Köppen–Geiger Climate Classification, and is also a typical city of severe cold regions where the daily average temperature is lower than 5 °C for more than 145 days in a year. This study takes Harbin as an example and uses agent-based modeling to establish an urban-scale building energy consumption simulation model. The model contains four types of agents (a global agent, building agent, residential agent, and household equipment agent) and two types of influence factor modules (an urban form module and a climate module). Three simulation scenarios were designed, including a baseline scenario, an urban form scenario, and a climate scenario. The baseline scenario provided an overview of the urban-scale building energy consumption distribution characteristics of Harbin and served as a reference group for the simulation results of other scenarios. The urban form scenario results show that when the elements with a highly significant impact change by 1 unit, the retail building block has the most obvious change in energy consumption, up to 44.7 × 106 kWh/105 m2/year, while the office building block has the lowest change, with 34.5 × 103 kWh/105 m2/year. The fluctuation of electricity is the most obvious, but the total change is lower than the heating energy consumption. The climate scenario shows that the energy consumption of residential land in urban centers will consistently rise in the next 50 years, up to 5.3 × 105 kWh/105 m2/year. Based on these results, this study puts forward future building energy conservation planning strategies for Harbin, focusing on three aspects: the planning and control of urban form, the optimization and adjustment of the climate, and the building energy conservation planning system. These research results are expected to provide scientific support for transforming Harbin into a low-carbon city.
Influence of Selected Impregnation Materials on the Tensile Strength for Carbon Textile Reinforced Concrete at Elevated Temperatures
Authors: Dahlhoff Annette , Morales Cruz Cynthia , Raupach Michael
Published: December 2022

Carbon textile reinforced concrete (CTRC) has been investigated in terms of its elevated temperature and fire behavior in order to evaluate the influence of impregnation materials. Elevated temperature tests have already been carried out for material combinations of CTRC. For the tensile strength and the bond behavior between textile reinforcement and concrete, the impregnation of the textile reinforcement is the influencing factor. Impregnation materials such as epoxy-resin (EP) or styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) showed a deterioration of the elevated temperature behavior compared to unimpregnated materials. The aim of this paper is to close the research gap on the elevated temperature behavior of carbon textile reinforced specimens impregnated with silicic acid ester, epoxy-resin, and epoxy-resin additionally surface-modified with quartz sand. For this purpose, stationary and transient tensile tests at elevated temperatures up to 1000 °C were performed. Furthermore, thermal analysis of the impregnation materials was performed to analyze the tensile tests by correlating the chemical examination with the experimental test results, and the ignitability of the reinforcements was studied using single flame tests. For the investigated reinforcement materials, the failure temperature of the specimens increases with decreasing tensile strength load level for all test specimens. In comparison to the epoxy-resin impregnation material, the silicic acid ester impregnation resulted in higher failure temperatures for comparable load levels. The decomposition of the impregnation materials proved to be a decisive factor due to comparatively evaluated thermal analysis.
Thermal Bridge Modeling According to Time-Varying Indoor Temperature for Dynamic Building Energy Simulation Using System Identification
Authors: Kim Heegang , Kim Jihye , Yeo Myoungsouk
Published: December 2022

It is not easy to dynamically analyze thermal bridges that require multi-dimensional analysis in building energy simulations, which are mostly one-dimensional platforms. To solve this problem, many studies have been conducted and, recently, a study was conducted to model a thermal bridge based on the data obtained by approaching this in a similar way to steady-state analysis, showing high accuracy. This was an early-stage study, which is only applicable when the indoor temperature is constant. By extending the study, a thermal bridge model that can be applied even when the indoor temperature changes over time in building energy simulations is proposed and validated. Since the governing equation, the heat diffusion equation, is linear, the key idea is to create and apply two thermal bridge transfer function models by expressing the heat flow that enters the room as a linear combination of the transfer function for indoor temperature and the transfer function for outdoor temperature. For the proposed thermal bridge model, the NRMSE of the model itself showed a high accuracy of 0.001, and in the verification through annual simulation using the model, the NRMSE showed an accuracy of 0.1.
Influence of Convection Term on Temperature Field during Soil Freezing
Authors: Wang Yingmei , Song Hanyu , Qin Haosen , Wang Xi
Published: December 2022

In recent years, the numerical model of frozen soil has mainly focused on the water-heat equation of unsaturated soil, which is of great significance to predicting engineering stability in frozen soil areas. In these numerical models, the change of freezing temperature is usually ignored, and 0 °C is often used as the freezing condition. In addition, most equations only consider the effect of latent heat released during water freezing on the frozen soil and ignore the effect of high-temperature water on the heat transfer of frozen soil when unfrozen water migrates to the frozen zone. Therefore, there will be deviations under long-time simulation. At the same time, due to excessive attention to the moisture field and neglect of the selection of the temperature field, there is no clear conclusion on when to choose the heat transfer equation with the convection term. The equation in this paper considered the change of freezing temperature under different initial saturation conditions and the convection effect during moisture migration. Through COMSOL 5.5 software simulation, they were combined with the experiment to verify. Three different hydrothermal equations were selected to analyze the effects of latent heat and the effects of convection on the temperature field under different initial saturation conditions. The results show that the convection term plays an essential role in the heat transfer equation for unsaturated soil with high initial saturation. Additionally, the frost heave occurs mainly above the ice front interface. This study provides a reference for when to choose the heat transfer equation with convective terms and can provide help for the construction and prediction of frozen soil in the future.
Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Optically Active Alcohols Possessing 1,2,3,4-Tetrahydroquinoline Moiety Employing Lipases or Variants of the Acyltransferase from Mycobacterium smegmatis
Authors: Zdun Beata , Kopińska Izabela , Dranka Maciej , Reiter Tamara , Kroutil Wolfgang , Borowiecki Paweł
Published: December 2022

The enzymatic kinetic resolution (EKR) of racemic alcohols or esters is a broadly recognized methodology for the preparation of these compounds in optically active form. Although EKR approaches have been developed for the enantioselective transesterification of a vast number of secondary alcohols or hydrolysis of their respective esters, to date, there is no report of bio- or chemo-catalytic asymmetric synthesis of non-racemic alcohols possessing 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline moiety, which are valuable building blocks for the pharmaceutical industry. In this work, the kinetic resolution of a set of racemic 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline-propan-2-ols was successfully carried out in neat organic solvents (in the case of CAL-B and BCL) or in water (in the case of MsAcT single variants) using immobilized lipases from Candida antarctica type B (CAL-B) and Burkholderia cepacia (BCL) or engineered acyltransferase variants from Mycobacterium smegmatis (MsAcT) as the biocatalysts and vinyl acetate as irreversible acyl donor, yielding enantiomerically enriched (S)-alcohols and the corresponding (R)-acetates with E-values up to 328 and excellent optical purities (>99% ee). In general, higher ee-values were observed in the reactions catalyzed by lipases; however, the rates of the reactions were significantly better in the case of MsAcT-catalyzed enantioselective transesterifications. Interestingly, we have experimentally proved that enantiomerically enriched 1-(7-nitro-3,4-dihydroquinolin-1(2H)-yl)propan-2-ol undergoes spontaneous amplification of optical purity under achiral chromatographic conditions.
Sol-Gel Synthesis of ZnO Nanoparticles Using Different Chitosan Sources: Effects on Antibacterial Activity and Photocatalytic Degradation of AZO Dye
Authors: Ben Amor Ilham , Hemmami Hadia , Laouini Salah Eddine , Mahboub Mohammed Sadok , Barhoum Ahmed
Published: December 2022

Chitosan was used in the sol-gel synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) as a capping agent in order to control the size, morphology, optical bandgap, photocatalytic efficiency, and antimicrobial activity. Different chitosan sources were used for the sol-gel synthesis of ZnO NPs, namely chitosan of shrimp shells, crab shells, and Streptomyces griseus bacteria. The photocatalytic efficiency was studied by using the methylene blue (MB) photodegradation test, and the antibacterial activity of the different types of ZnO NPs was investigated by the agar well diffusion technique. The particle size of ZnO NPs varied between 20 and 80 nm, and the band gap energy ranged between 2.7 and 3.2 eV. Due to the different chitosan sources, the ZnO NPs showed different antibacterial activity against Listeria innocua, Bacillus Subtiliis, Staphylococcus Aureus, Salmonella Typhimurium and Pseudomonas Aeruginosa. The ZnO NPs with lower band gap values showed better antibacterial results compared to ZnO NPs with higher band gap values. The MB dye removal of ZnO (shrimp shells), ZnO (crab shells), and ZnO (Streptomyces griseus) reached 60%, 56%, and 44%, respectively, at a contact time of 60 min, a low initial MB dye concentration of 6 × 10−5 M, a solution temperature of 25 °C, and a pH = 7.
Enhanced Photoredox Activity of BiVO4/Prussian Blue Nanocomposites for Efficient Pollutant Removal from Aqueous Media under Low-Cost LEDs Illumination
Authors: Khan Abrar Ali , Marchiori Leonardo , Ferreira-Neto Elias Paiva , Wender Heberton , Parveen Rashida , Muneeb Mohammad , Mattos Bianca Oliveira , Rodrigues-Filho Ubirajara Pereira , Ribeiro Sidney José Lima , Ullah Sajjad
Published: December 2022

Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4, BV) is a widely explored photocatalyst for photo(electro)chemical applications, but its full photocatalytic potential is hindered by the fast recombination and low mobility of photogenerated charge carriers. Herein, we propose the photodeposition of different amounts of Prussian blue (PB) cocatalysts on the surface of monoclinic BV to obtain BV-PB composite photocatalysts with increased photoactivity. The as-prepared BV and BV-PB composites were characterized by an array of analytic techniques such scanning eletron microscopy (SEM), transmission eletron microscopy (TEM), X-day diffraction (XRD), and spectroscopic techniques including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), photoluminescence (PL), and Raman spectroscopy. The addition of PB not only increases the absorption of visible light, as indicated by DRS, but also improves the charge carriers’ transfer across the photocatalysts/solution interface and hence reduces electron-hole (e−-h+) recombination, as confirmed by EIS and PL measurements. Resultantly, the BV-PB composite photocatalysts with optimum PB loading exhibited enhanced Cr(VI) photoreduction efficiency as compared to pristine BV under visible light illumination from low-power blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs), thanks to the cocatalyst role of PB which mediates the transfer of photoexcited conduction band (CB) electrons from BV to Cr(VI) species in solution. Moreover, as compared to pristine BV and BV + H2O2, a drastic increase in the methylene blue (MB) photo-oxidation efficiency was observed for BV-PB in the presence of a minute quantity of H2O2 due to a synergic effect between the photocatalytic and Fenton-like processes. While pure BV photodegraded around 70% of MB dye within 120 min, the BV-PB/H2O2 and BV/H2O2 system could degrade almost 100% of the dye within 20 min (kobs. = 0.375 min−1) and 40 min (kobs. = 0.055 min−1), respectively. The practical approach employed in this work may pioneer new prospects for synthesizing new BV-based photocatalytic systems with low production costs and high photoredox efficiencies.
Engineered 2D Metal Oxides for Photocatalysis as Environmental Remediation: A Theoretical Perspective
Authors: Raza Ali , Zhang Yifei , Cassinese Antonio , Li Gao
Published: December 2022

Modern-day society requires advanced technologies based on renewable and sustainable energy resources to meet environmental remediation challenges. Solar-inspired photocatalytic applications such as water splitting, hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) are unique solutions based on green and efficient technologies. Considering the special electronic features and larger surface area, two-dimensional (2D) materials, especially metal oxides (MOs), have been broadly explored for the abovementioned applications in the past few years. However, their photocatalytic potential has not been optimized yet to the level required for practical and commercial applications. Among many strategies available, defect engineering, including cation and anion vacancy creations, can potentially boost the photocatalytic performance of 2D MOs. This mini-review covers recent advancements in 2D engineered materials for various photocatalysis applications such as H2O2 oxidation, HER, and CO2RR for environmental remediation from theoretical perspectives. By thoroughly addressing the fundamental aspects, recent developments, and associated challenges—the author’s recommendations in compliance with future challenges and prospects will pave the way for readers.
Photocatalyzed Oxidative Decarboxylation Forming Aminovinylcysteine Containing Peptides
Authors: Kumashiro Masaya , Ohsawa Kosuke , Doi Takayuki
Published: December 2022

The formation of (2S,3S)-S-[(Z)-aminovinyl]-3-methyl-D-cysteine (AviMeCys) substructures was developed based on the photocatalyzed-oxidative decarboxylation of lanthionine-bearing peptides. The decarboxylative selenoetherification of the N-hydroxyphthalimide ester, generated in situ, proceeded under mild conditions at −40 °C in the presence of 1 mol% of eosin Y-Na2 as a photocatalyst and the Hantzsch ester. The following β-elimination of the corresponding N,Se-acetal was operated in a one-pot operation, led to AviMeCys substructures found in natural products in moderate to good yields. The sulfide-bridged motif, and also the carbamate-type protecting groups, such as Cbz, Teoc, Boc and Fmoc groups, were tolerant under the reaction conditions.
Effect of Basic Promoters on Porous Supported Alumina Catalysts for Acetins Production
Authors: Bezerra Rita de Cássia F. , Mota Gabriela , Vidal Ruth Maria B. , Carmo Jose Vitor do , Saraiva Gilberto D. , Campos Adriana , Oliveira Alcineia C. , Lang Rossano , Otubo Larissa , Jiménez Jiménez José , Rodríguez-Castellón Enrique
Published: December 2022

A facile strategy for the design of porous supports was obtained by modifying the sol-gel method followed by the wet impregnation technique. In this respect, herein, the acidity of the γ-Al2O3 phase was modulated by adding basic MgO, La2O3 or ZnO promoters to form binary supported catalysts. The Ni and Co dispersion on the supports associated with their tunable acidity and morphologies resulted in highly porous supported alumina-based catalysts. The physicochemical properties of the solids were comprehensively investigated by XRD, textural properties, Raman and FTIR spectroscopy, SEM-EDS, TEM, EPR and XPS analyses. The catalytic performances in the esterification of glycerol in the presence of acetic acid (EG) for the acetins production were evaluated. The highly dispersed NiO and Co3O4 active species on binary porous supports produced synergistic effects appearing to be the reason for the activity of the solids in the EG reaction. Under the optimized reaction conditions, NiCo/MgO-Al2O3 was found to be a robust solid with superior catalytic performance and improved stability in four reaction cycles with 65.0% of glycerol conversion with an exclusive selectivity of 53% for triacetin. The presence of Co2+/Co3+ and Ni2+ strongly interacting with the spinel γ-Al2O3 and MgAl2O4 phases, the latter having a large number of lattice oxygen species, was considered another active component besides those of Ni and Co in the esterification of glycerol.
In-Situ Catalytic Preparation of Two-Dimensional BCN/Graphene Composite for Anti-Corrosion Application
Authors: Duan Chunyang , Li Xiaojie , Ji Yongjun , He Liuyang , Qian Jianhua , Zhao Zenghua
Published: December 2022

In-situ catalytic growth of two-dimensional materials shows great potential for metal surface protection because of the impermeability and strong interaction of the materials with metal surfaces. Two-dimensional hexagonal boron-carbon nitrogen (h-BCN) is composed of alternating boron, carbon, and nitrogen atoms in a two-dimensional honeycomb lattice, which is similar to graphene. The corrosion caused by defects such as grain boundary of two-dimensional materials can be weakened by dislocation overlap via the transfer method. However, two-dimensional composite films prepared using the transfer method have problems, such as the introduction of impurities and poor adhesion, which limit their corrosion resistance. In this study, a layer of BCN/Gr two-dimensional composite was directly grown on the surface of copper foil using the CVD in-situ catalysis method, and its anti-corrosion performance was characterized by electrochemical and salt spray experiments. The results showed that the directly grown two-dimensional composite had better adhesion to the substrate and the advantage of grain boundary dislocation, thus showing a better anti-corrosion capability.
The Emerging Career of Strontium Titanates in Photocatalytic Applications: A Review
Authors: Sharma Nikita , Hernadi Klara
Published: December 2022

The growing energy demands and rapid industrialization drove the attention towards a sustainable living. The methods to a adopt renewable source of energy has made the field of heterogeneous photocatalysis so famous. The photocatalytic hydrogen production seems to be an answer for our future energy crisis. In this regard, alkaline earth metal titanates with a perovskite structure are one of the in demand materials these days. Among these, strontium titanates (SrTiO3) play an important role and have shown a potential, especially in the field of hydrogen production. This review summarizes the significance of (SrTiO3) in photocatalytic water splitting, to produce hydrogen and the photocatalytic degradation of the pollutants from the waste water. Different synthesis methods used for preparing SrTiO3 are also discussed.
Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Laden in Hydrogels for Osteoarthritis Cartilage Regeneration: A Systematic Review from In Vitro Studies to Clinical Applications
Authors: Manferdini Cristina , Gabusi Elena , Saleh Yasmin , Lenzi Enrico , D’Atri Giovanni , Ricotti Leonardo , Lisignoli Gina
Published: December 2022

This systematic review is focused on the main characteristics of the hydrogels used for embedding the mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in in vitro/ex vivo studies, in vivo OA models and clinical trials for favoring cartilage regeneration in osteoarthritis (OA). PubMED and Embase databases were used to select the papers that were submitted to a public reference manager Rayyan Systematic Review Screening Software. A total of 42 studies were considered eligible: 25 articles concerned in vitro studies, 2 in vitro and ex vivo ones, 5 in vitro and in vivo ones, 8 in vivo ones and 2 clinical trials. Some in vitro studies evidenced a rheological characterization of the hydrogels and description of the crosslinking methods. Only 37.5% of the studies considered at the same time chondrogenic, fibrotic and hypertrophic markers. Ex vivo studies focused on hydrogel adhesion properties and the modification of MSC-laden hydrogels subjected to compression tests. In vivo studies evidenced the effect of cell-laden hydrogels in OA animal models or defined the chondrogenic potentiality of the cells in subcutaneous implantation models. Clinical studies confirmed the positive impact of these treatments on patients with OA. To speed the translation to the clinical use of cell-laden hydrogels, further studies on hydrogel characteristics, injection modalities, chemo-attractant properties and adhesion strength are needed.
c-Abl Regulates the Pathological Deposition of TDP-43 via Tyrosine 43 Phosphorylation
Authors: Lee Saebom , Ryu Hye Guk , Kweon Sin Ho , Kim Hyerynn , Park Hyeonwoo , Lee Kyung-Ha , Jang Sang-Min , Na Chan Hyun , Kim Sangjune , Ko Han Seok
Published: December 2022

Non-receptor tyrosine kinase, c-Abl plays a role in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Here, we found that TDP-43, which was one of the main proteins comprising pathological deposits in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is a novel substrate for c-Abl. The phosphorylation of tyrosine 43 of TDP-43 by c-Abl led to increased TDP-43 levels in the cytoplasm and increased the formation of G3BP1-positive stress granules in SH-SY5Y cells. The kinase-dead mutant of c-Abl had no effect on the cytoplasmic localization of TDP-43. The expression of phosphor-mimetic mutant Y43E of TDP-43 in primary cortical neurons accumulated the neurite granule. Furthermore, the phosphorylation of TDP-43 at tyrosine 43 by c-Abl promoted the aggregation of TDP-43 and increased neuronal cell death in primary cortical neurons, but not in c-Abl–deficient primary cortical neurons. Identification of c-Abl as the kinase of TDP43 provides new insight into the pathogenesis of ALS.
Systematic Analysis of a Pyroptosis-Related Signature to Predict the Prognosis and Immune Microenvironment of Lower-Grade Glioma
Authors: He Yongze , Cai Yuxiang , Liu Jinsheng , Ding Haixia , Li Xiang , Tian Sufang , Li Zhiqiang
Published: December 2022

Current treatments for lower-grade glioma (LGG) do not effectively improve life expectancy rates, and this is a major global health concern. Improving our knowledge of this disease will ultimately help to improve prevention, accurate prognosis, and treatment strategies. Pyroptosis is an inflammatory form of regulated cell death, which plays an important role in tumor progression and occurrence. There is still a lack of effective markers to evaluate the prognosis of LGG patients. We collected paraffin-embedded tissue samples and prognostic information from 85 patients with low-grade gliomas and fabricated them into a tissue microarray. Combining data from public databases, we explored the relationship between pyroptosis-related genes (PRGs) and the prognoses of patients with LGG and investigated their correlations with the tumor microenvironment (TME) by means of machine learning, single-cell, immunohistochemical, nomogram, GSEA, and Cox regression analyses. We developed a six-gene PRG-based prognostic model, and the results have identified CASP4 as an effective marker for LGG prognosis predictions. Furthermore, the effects on immune cell infiltration may also provide guidance for future immunotherapy strategies.
Age at Menarche, Growth Velocity, and Adiposity Indices in Italian Girls Aged 10 to 14
Authors: Gualdi-Russo Emanuela , Rinaldo Natascia , Mazzoni Gianni , Mandini Simona , Masotti Sabrina , Toselli Stefania , Zaccagni Luciana
Published: December 2022

Age at menarche (AAM) is an effective marker of puberty timing but its onset could be influenced by several intrinsic and extrinsic factors. This study aimed to assess the AAM in a sample of Italian adolescents and to investigate its association with anthropometric variables. Considering the rise in overweight/obesity worldwide, special attention was paid to a possible decrease in AAM as adiposity indices increase. A longitudinal study was carried out on 117 middle school girls in Northern Italy. Data concerning menarche and anthropometric traits (standing and sitting height, weight, waist circumference, and skinfold thicknesses) were directly collected. Lower limb length and indices of adiposity and growth were calculated. The median AAM was 11.66 (95% IC: 11.31–11.68). Age-adjusted ANCOVA between mature and non-mature girls showed significant differences in growth-related traits and WHtR. No preponderance of overweight/obesity among mature participants was found. AAM was not significantly associated with weight or the growth velocity of adiposity indices in a subsample of maturers. Moreover, the median AAM of our sample was similar to that found in women born about 60 years ago in the same region. In conclusion, in addition to a stabilization of AAM since the 1960s, our results suggest that there is no significant correlation between increased adiposity and early AAM.
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Lifestyle and Wellbeing of Children, Adolescents and Their Parents: A Qualitative Study
Authors: van de Pas Kelly G. H. , Hesselink Marijn L. , Schlechtriem Robin , Arayess Lisanne , Kreutz Johanna M. , Vreugdenhil Anita C. E.
Published: December 2022

Prior studies have shown that changes in daily structure and habits due to the COVID-19 pandemic affected the lifestyle and wellbeing of families. This study aimed to obtain in-depth information on children’s and adolescents’ experiences regarding their lifestyle and wellbeing during the pandemic. Semi-structured interviews with fifteen families were carried out between May and November 2021. Directed content analysis was used to analyze the transcripts and fundamental qualitative description to describe the results. Children and adolescents revealed an overall unhealthier lifestyle and decreased wellbeing. These negative effects were even larger in adolescents and children with overweight or psychosocial complaints. Our results revealed that parents were actively involved in maintaining a normal daily structure. Furthermore, diet changes were inconsistent and dependent on food availability. An increase in screen time was experienced as inevitable, and external influences were necessary to keep children and adolescents active. Almost no effects were reported on physical health, whereas negative emotions were experienced in varying degrees. Moreover, the decrease in social interactions was reported as the most negative effect of the pandemic. The above-mentioned insights may contribute to the development of preventive measures to promote a healthy lifestyle and wellbeing of children and adolescents during future pandemics.
Disappearance of Plaque Following Treatment with Antioxidants in Peyronie’s Disease Patients—A Report of 3 Cases
Authors: Paulis Gianni , De Giorgio Giovanni
Published: December 2022

Peyronie’s disease (PD) is a fibrotic disorder of the penile tunica albuginea. To date, only a few cases of recovery from PD following medical treatment have been reported in the literature. In this article, we describe three new cases of PD where patients achieved complete resorption of plaque following multimodal antioxidant treatment. In all three cases, treatment included the following antioxidants: bilberry, propolis, ginkgo biloba, silymarin, and vitamin E. Only in case nos. 1 and 2 did we also use the following antioxidant substances: L-carnitine, coenzyme Q10, and Boswellia. In all three cases, we also used a local therapy with diclofenac gel. Only in case no. 2 did we also use periodic perilesional injections with pentoxifylline. Although the sample of cases presented here was small, these patients incontrovertibly experienced complete plaque disappearance and recovery (in one case, only after a short course of treatment). Therefore, it is our conviction that urologists may find our experiences of considerable interest in their clinical practices.
Structure, Phase Composition, and Properties of Ti3AlC2—Nano-Cu Powder Composites
Authors: Krinitcyn Maksim , Toropkov Nikita
Published: December 2022

Composites based on the MAX-phases are promising materials for wide range application. Composites MAX-phase–copper can be used in electrical engineering as wear-resistant and durable sliding contact materials. Such composites can be used as coatings on sliding contacts to improve local strength and wear-resistance without a significant increase in production costs. In this work, Ti3AlC2—nano-Cu composites with the ratio Ti3AlC2:Cu = 1:1 by weight or approximately 4:1 by volume were studied. The main task of the study is to obtain a dense structure, as well as to study the effect of the sintering temperature of the samples on their structure, phase composition, mechanical properties, and electrical conductivity. In addition, the sintered specimens were subjected to a hot isostatic pressing to possibly further increase the density. It was found that the best combination of strength, density, and electrical conductivity is achieved after sintering at 1050 °C. A further increase in the sintering temperature leads to an intensification of the MAX phase decomposition process, and at a lower sintering temperature, the copper matrix remains incompletely formed.
Adhesion in Bitumen/Aggregate System: Adhesion Mechanism and Test Methods
Authors: Pstrowska Katarzyna , Gunka Volodymyr , Sidun Iurii , Demchuk Yuriy , Vytrykush Nataliya , Kułażyński Marek , Bratychak Michael
Published: December 2022

A literature review of the five main theories describing the interaction mechanisms in the bitumen/aggregate system was conducted: theory of weak boundary layers, mechanical theory, electrostatic theory, chemical bonding theory, and thermodynamic theory (adsorption theory). The adhesion assessment methods in the bitumen/aggregate system are described, which can be divided into three main groups: determination of adhesion forces for bitumen with different materials, determination of bitumen resistance to the exfoliating action of water with different materials, and determination of adhesion as a fundamental value (contact angle measurements, interfacial fracture energy, adsorption capacity and others). It is proposed to evaluate the quality of adhesive interaction in the bitumen/aggregate system in two stages. The authors recommend using the adhesion determination methods for these two stages from the second group of methods the determination of bitumen resistance to the exfoliating action of water with different materials. In the first stage, the adhesion in the bitumen/aggregate system is determined by an accelerated technique in which the used bitumen binder and mineral material are considered as test materials. After the first stage, there are positive results in the second tests on compacted mixtures (indirect tensile strength test, Modified Lottman indirect tension test, immersion-compression test, and Hamburg wheel tracking test).
Indoor Floor Heel Mark Removal Using Spark Discharges and Pressurized Airflow
Authors: Sakamoto Yoshihiro , Tsutsumi Takayoshi , Tanaka Hiromasa , Ishikawa Kenji , Hashizume Hiroshi , Hori Masaru
Published: December 2022

Heel marks (HMs), which are the black stains made by shoe soles on indoor floors, can be difficult to remove. However, this study shows how spark discharges combined with pressurized airflow in 60 s discharge treatments can remove such HMs. We further show that maximizing the HM removal rates depended on the electrode gap distance because of changes in the spark discharge parameters. In our experiments, the electrical voltage waveforms are shown with voltage spikes, called spark discharges, and the spike numbers were counted in 0.6-ms time units. It was found that the number of spark discharges increases when the electrode gap distance was widened from 5 mm to 10 mm and the pressurized airflow was added, and the HM removal rates increased 11.5%, the HM removal rates could be maximized. Taken together, the results show that spark discharges combined with pressurized air can remove HMs from indoor floors without no visual damage. This paper is a preliminary report showing that HMs can be removed by plasma.
Fabrication of Silver-Doped UiO-66-NH2 and Characterization of Antibacterial Materials
Authors: Tian Feng , Weng Rengui , Huang Xin , Chen Guohong , Huang Zhitao
Published: December 2022

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are highly crystalline inorganic-organic complexes formed from metal ions or metal clusters and multi-toothed organic ligands. MOFs have great potential for use in antibacterial materials in the biological, environmental, and food antimicrobial fields. They can act as a reservoir of metal ions, releasing them gradually and leading to a sustained antibacterial effect analogous to that proposed for metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs). Herein, UiO-66-NH2 as a type of MOF was first prepared by a facile solvothermal method and then loaded with Ag NPs to form a Ag/UiO-66-NH2 composite and the different materials were synthesized by controlling silver doping amount, which are then applied to an antibacterial test. Works on the synthesis of Ag/UiO-66-NH2 and its antibacterial test were not reported before. The synthesized materials were characterized using the field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. The antibacterial activity of the Ag/UiO-66-NH2 was then assessed against E. coli (gram-negative bacteria) and Staphylococcus aureus (gram-positive bacteria), using the inhibition zone (ZIO) method and optical density (OD) method. The obtained results have shown that the introduction of Ag does not interfere with the crystallization of UiO-66-NH2. The FT-IR spectral profiles recorded for the UiO-66-NH2 samples fabricated under conditions of varying silver ion doping levels are similar to those recorded for UiO-66-NH2. The thermal stability of UiO-66-NH2 containing varying amounts of silver ions was lower than the thermal stability of UiO-66-NH2. However, under these conditions, the specific surface area and pore volume increased. The antibacterial performance of UiO-66-NH2 improved significantly following the process of silver ion doping. The best antibacterial performance was observed when the silver ion content was 4 wt.%. Overall, we synthesized a new nanocomposite material with broad-spectrum bacterial sterilization, which was easy to manufacture.
Real World Patient Eligibility for Second Line Lurbinectedin Based Treatment in Small Cell Lung Cancer: Understanding Epidemiology and Estimating Health Care Utilization
Authors: Rittberg Rebekah , Leung Bonnie , Al-Hashami Zamzam , Ho Cheryl
Published: December 2022

Background: In the ATLANTIS study, second-line lurbinectedin/doxorubicin did not improve overall survival (OS), however patients with a chemotherapy-free interval (CTFI) of ≥180 days had an improved progression free survival (PFS). The objective of this retrospective study was to identify the proportion of real-world small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients who are suitable for lurbinectedin-based therapy based on these criteria. Methods: A retrospective study of all SCLC referred to BC Cancer between 2012 and 2017 was conducted. Patient demographics, staging, treatment, and survival data were collected retrospectively. Baseline characteristics were compared using descriptive statistics. OS was calculated using Kaplan–Meier curves. Statistically significant p-value was <0.05. Results: A total of 1048 patients were identified. Baseline characteristics: median age 68 years, 47% male, 61% current smoking status, 68% extensive disease. Best supportive care was received by 22%. First-line systemic therapy was platinum doublet for 71% of the population. Second-line systemic therapy was delivered to 22%. Of the 219 patients who received second-line systemic therapy after platinum doublet, 183 patients had a CTFI of ≥90 days and 107 patients had a CTFI of ≥180 days. Patients originally treated as limited stage disease, received platinum doublet as second line, received thoracic radiation (RT) or prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) were more likely to have a CTFI of ≥90 and ≥180 days. Conclusion: In our real-world SCLC population, only 21% of the SCLC population received second-line therapy after platinum doublet with 17% achieving CTFI of ≥90 days and 10% CTFI of ≥180 days. Based on this retrospective review, only a small fraction of platinum-treated patients would be preferentially offered lurbinectedin in the second-line setting.
Clinical and Histopathologic Profile of Patients with Cutaneous Metastasis in a Tertiary Hospital in the Philippines
Authors: Dumlao Jolene Kristine Gatmaitan , Cubillan Eileen Liesl A. , Villena Juan Paolo David S.
Published: December 2022

Introduction: Cutaneous metastases represent 2% of skin tumors, with an overall incidence of 5.3%. Although rare, clinical presentations of cutaneous metastasis vary and can be mistaken for benign and malignant skin conditions. Methodology: This was a descriptive, retrospective review of all patients diagnosed with cutaneous metastasis seen at the Department of Dermatology from January 2013 to December 2019. Clinical and histopathologic data from the patients were collated from medical records, and slides were retrieved for review. Results: A total of 115 patients were included and 122 slides reviewed. There were more female than males, the mean age was 52.3 ± 14.0 years of age. The most common primary cancer was the breast, and accordingly, the most common location was anterior chest. Among the 122 slides reviewed from 104 patients, the most common histologic type was adenocarcinoma (72.1%), and showed the infiltrative pattern (26.2%). Other histologic types seen were melanoma (13.1%), leukemic infiltrates (11.5%), squamous origin (2.5%), and epithelioid sarcoma (0.8%). Lymphovascular invasion and dermal sclerosis were observed. Immunohistochemical stains were performed in only 13.9% of the cases. There was a high concurrence of the clinical with the histopathologic diagnosis (95.6%). Conclusion: Although rare, patients with cutaneous metastasis may present in dermatology clinics. Knowledge of clinical features and low threshold for doing biopsies may prove useful for these patients. Similarly, dermatopathologists should be able to recognize histologic features of cutaneous metastasis morphologically. Histologic features may be subtle and may be reminiscent of benign inflammatory conditions, hence judicious use of immunohistochemical staining is recommended.
The Philosophy of Dermatopathology
Authors: Sakai Yasuhiro
Published: December 2022

Diagnostic pathology involves studying sample cells and tissues obtained from the specific lesions of interest [...]
Allred Scoring of ER-IHC Stained Whole-Slide Images for Hormone Receptor Status in Breast Carcinoma
Authors: Ahmad Fauzi Mohammad Faizal , Wan Ahmad Wan Siti Halimatul Munirah , Jamaluddin Mohammad Fareed , Lee Jenny Tung Hiong , Khor See Yee , Looi Lai Meng , Abas Fazly Salleh , Aldahoul Nouar
Published: December 2022

Hormone receptor status is determined primarily to identify breast cancer patients who may benefit from hormonal therapy. The current clinical practice for the testing using either Allred score or H-score is still based on laborious manual counting and estimation of the amount and intensity of positively stained cancer cells in immunohistochemistry (IHC)-stained slides. This work integrates cell detection and classification workflow for breast carcinoma estrogen receptor (ER)-IHC-stained images and presents an automated evaluation system. The system first detects all cells within the specific regions and classifies them into negatively, weakly, moderately, and strongly stained, followed by Allred scoring for ER status evaluation. The generated Allred score relies heavily on accurate cell detection and classification and is compared against pathologists’ manual estimation. Experiments on 40 whole-slide images show 82.5% agreement on hormonal treatment recommendation, which we believe could be further improved with an advanced learning model and enhancement to address the cases with 0% ER status. This promising system can automate the exhaustive exercise to provide fast and reliable assistance to pathologists and medical personnel. The system has the potential to improve the overall standards of prognostic reporting for cancer patients, benefiting pathologists, patients, and also the public at large.
Prevalence of Depression and Related Factors among Patients with Chronic Disease during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: García-Lara Rubén A. , Suleiman-Martos Nora , Membrive-Jiménez María J. , García-Morales Victoria , Quesada-Caballero Miguel , Guisado-Requena Isabel M. , Gómez-Urquiza José L.
Published: December 2022

The management of chronic diseases in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic is especially challenging, and reducing potential psychological harm is essential. This review aims to determine the prevalence of depression during the COVID-19 pandemic in patients with chronic disease, and to characterize the impacts of related factors. A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The meta-analysis was performed using StatsDirect software. The review identified 33 articles with a total of 50,905 patients with chronic diseases. Four meta-analyses were performed to estimate the prevalence of depression. In diabetic patients, the prevalence ranged from 17% (95% CI = 7–31) (PHQ-9) to 33% (95% CI = 16–51) (PHQ-8); in obese patients, the prevalence was 48% (95% CI = 26–71); and in hypertensive patients, the prevalence was 18% (95% CI = 13–24). The factors significantly associated with depression were female sex, being single, deterioration in the clinical parameters of diabetes, a decrease in self-care behavior, reduced physical activity and sleep time and fear of contagion. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased levels of depression among persons with chronic disease. Pandemics and other emergency events have a major impact on mental health, so early psychological interventions and health management policies are needed to reinforce chronic patients’ physical and mental health.
Lung Involvement in Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: A Narrative Review
Authors: Petrongari Duilio , Di Filippo Paola , Misticoni Francesco , Basile Giulia , Di Pillo Sabrina , Chiarelli Francesco , Attanasi Marina
Published: December 2022

Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis associated with lung disorders (sJIA-LD) is a subtype of sJIA characterized by the presence of chronic life-threatening pulmonary disorders, such as pulmonary hypertension, interstitial lung disease, pulmonary alveolar proteinosis and/or endogenous lipoid pneumonia, which were exceptionally rare before 2013. Clinically, these children show a striking dissociation between the relatively mild clinical manifestations (tachypnoea, clubbing and chronic cough) and the severity of the pulmonary inflammatory process. Our review describes sJIA-LD as having a reported prevalence of approximately 6.8%, with a mortality rate of between 37% and 68%. It is often associated with an early onset (<2 years of age), macrophage activation syndrome and high interleukin (IL)-18 circulating levels. Other risk factors may be trisomy 21 and a predisposition to adverse reactions to biological drugs. The most popular hypothesis is that the increase in the number of sJIA-LD cases can be attributed to the increased use of IL-1 and IL-6 blockers. Two possible explanations have been proposed, named the “DRESS hypothesis” and the “cytokine plasticity hypothesis”. Lung ultrasounds and the intercellular-adhesion-molecule-5 assay seem to be promising tools for the early diagnosis of sJIA-LD, although high resolution computed tomography remains the gold standard. In this review, we also summarize the treatment options for sJIA-LD, focusing on JAK inhibitors.
Clinical/Sonographic Assessment and Management of Calcific Tendinopathy of the Shoulder: A Narrative Review
Authors: Ricci Vincenzo , Mezian Kamal , Chang Ke-Vin , Özçakar Levent
Published: December 2022

Shoulder disorders are very common in clinical practice. Among several other pathologies, calcific tendinopathy of the rotator cuff tendons is frequently observed during the ultrasound examination of patients with painful shoulder. The deposition of hydroxyapatite calcium crystals should not be considered as a static process but rather a dynamic pathological process with different/possible patterns of migration. In this paper, we have illustrated how and where these calcium depositions can migrate from the rotator cuff tendons to the peri-articular soft tissues. We have also tried to discuss the issue from the clinical side, i.e., how these particular conditions might impact the specific diagnosis, appropriate rehabilitation plan or interventional approach for optimal functional recovery.