bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preparation and Optimization of Naringin Oral Nanocarrier: In Vitro Characterization and Antibacterial Activity
Authors: Imam Syed , Gilani Sadaf , Zafar Ameeduzzafar , Jumah May , Ali Raisuddin , Ahmed Mohammed , Alshehri Sultan
Published: August 2022

Naringin (NG), is a poorly water-soluble flavonoid that has reported to possess a variety of therapeutic efficacies. The present research work is designed to prepare and optimize Naringin hybrid nanoparticles (NG-HNs) using lipid (A), chitosan (B), and D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate (C). The formulations were optimized using a Box–Behnken Design (BBD), and the selection of optimized composition (NG-HNop) was carried out on the basis of low particle size (Y1) and high entrapment efficiency (Y2) using the point prediction method. The selected NG-HNop was further evaluated in order to study permeation, drug release, antimicrobial and antioxidant effect, and cell viability. The optimized nanoparticles (NG-HNop) showed a particle size and entrapment efficiency of 246 ± 8.3 nm and 83.5 ± 2.1%, with a polydispersibility index (PDI) of 0.23 and a Zeta potential of + 18.1 mV, indicating high stability. The optimized NG-HNop exhibited better drug release (89.62 ± 4.54%) and enhanced permeation (3.7 folds). A significant improvement in the antimicrobial activity was achieved against Escherichia coli with respect to Staphylococcus aureus with the hybrid nanoparticles. They also exhibited better activity in the tested cell line. On the basis of the study results, hybrid nanoparticles of Naringin are an alternative oral delivery method for treating cancer cells.
SiO2 Nanoparticles as New Repairing Treatments toward the Pietraforte Sandstone in Florence Renaissance Buildings
Authors: Valentini Federica , Pallecchi Pasquino , Relucenti Michela , Donfrancesco Orlando , Sottili Gianluca , Pettiti Ida , Mussi Valentina , De Angelis Sara , Scatigno Claudia , Festa Giulia
Published: August 2022

In this work, the consolidation efficiency of SiO2 nanoparticles (synthesized in the Chemistry laboratories at the Tor Vergata University of Roma) was tested on Pietraforte sandstone surfaces belonging to the bell tower of San Lorenzo (Florence, Italy) and was fully investigated. Nanoparticles (synthesized in large-scale mass production) have been characterized by XRD—X-Ray Diffraction; Raman and FTIR—Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy; SEM—Scanning Electron Microscopy; while the Pietraforte sandstone morphology was examined by Porosimetry, capillary absorption test, surface hardness test, drilling resistance and tensile strength. The colorimetric measurements were also performed to characterize the optical modification exhibited by Pietraforte sandstones, especially after the SiO2 treatments. Our results show that applying to the Pietraforte, the new consolidating agent based on SiO2 nanoparticles, has several advantages, as they are more resistant to perforation, wear, and abrasion even long range (for long times of exposure and consolidating exercise against Florentine sandstone), compared to the CaCO3 nanoparticles (tested in our previous paper), which instead show excellent performance but only close to their first application. This means that over time, their resistance to drilling decreases, they wear much more easily (compared to SiO2-treated sandstone), and tend to exhibit quite a significant surface abrasion phenomena. The experimental results highlight that the SiO2 consolidation efficiency on this kind of Florentine Pietraforte sandstone (having low porosity and a specific calcitic texture) seems to be higher in terms of water penetration protection, superficial cohesion forces, and an increase in surface resistance. Comparing the performance of SiO2 nanoparticles with commercial consolidants in solvents such as Estel 1000 (tested here), we demonstrate that: (A) the restorative effects are obtained with a consolidation time over one week, significantly shorter when compared to the times of Estel 1000, exceeding 21 days; (B) SiO2 nanoparticles perform better than Estel 1000 in terms of cohesion forces, also ensuring excellent preservation of the optical and color properties of the parent rock (without altering it after application).
Novel and Classical Materials Used in the Plane of Polarization of Light Rotation: Liquid Crystal with WS2 Nanotubes
Authors: Kamanina Natalia , Toikka Andrey , Likhomanova Svetlana
Published: August 2022

It is well known that among the materials used in the daily lives of individuals and also in industrial applications, the specific structures applied in biomedicine occupy a special place. It is connected with the possibility to expand our basic physical-chemical knowledge and regarded to the real application of novel structures in the interdisciplinary arena. In this paper, a comparative study is conducted on the influence of different materials: sugar, DNA, WS2 nanoparticles, dyes—on the rotation of the plane of polarization of light. Firstly, this effect is shown namely for a liquid crystal mixture doped with WS2 nanotubes. On the one hand, it is shown that the new materials are quite suitable for use in sugar-meters and polarimeter devices instead of sugar solutions. On the other hand, the rotation of the plane of polarization of light in solutions with DNA and WS2 nanoparticles in water or in the liquid crystal mixture can predict a larger angle of the rotation of the polarization plane of the light and can find a better design than in volumetric classical sugar solutions. This makes it possible to expand the application of these materials to the technical devices.
Species Distribution Modeling Reveals Recent Shifts in Suitable Habitat for Six North American Cypripedium spp. (Orchidaceae)
Authors: Smallwood Patrick A. , Trapnell Dorset W.
Published: August 2022

Accelerating climate change is expected to cause range shifts of numerous taxa worldwide. While climatic projections and predicted consequences typically focus on the future (2050 or later), a measurable change in climatic conditions has occurred over recent decades. We investigate whether recent climate change has caused measurable shifts in suitable habitat for six North American species in the highly threatened genus Cypripedium (Orchidaceae). We constructed species distribution models using a maximum entropy approach from species occurrence records, 19 bioclimatic variables, land cover data, and soil data for two decadal time intervals (1980–1989 and 2010–2019). Models were compared between time intervals to assess shifts in locality, size, fragmentation, and mean elevation of suitable habitat. For all six congeners, the centroids of suitable habitat shifted between time intervals, although the directionality varied. There was, however, consistency among species within geographic regions. Consistent with our expectations, the optimal habitat for most species shifted to a higher elevation and for western species it shifted northwards. However, the habitat for one northwestern species shifted southwards and the habitat for eastern species converged on the Great Lakes region from different directions. This work illustrates the somewhat idiosyncratic responses of congeneric species to changing climatic conditions and how the geographic region occupied by a species may be more important for predicting shifts in habitat than is the response of a closely related taxon.
Responses of Freshwater Planarian Girardia tigrina to Fipronil-Based Insecticide: Survival, Behavioral and Physiological Endpoints
Authors: dos Reis Eloisa Borges , Farnese Fernanda S. , Oliveira Marilene S. , Rodrigues Andreia C. M. , Dornelas Aline S. P. , Sarmento Renato A. , de Souza João C. P. , Resende Erika C. , Saraiva Althiéris S.
Published: August 2022

Fipronil is a pyrazole insecticide used to control undesirable insect populations. Due to its large-scale application, there is the potential for surface waters’ contamination, with toxic action for non-target organisms, and consequent impacts on aquatic ecosystems. Planarians are potential non-target aquatic invertebrates to these insecticides. They are widespread in tropical freshwaters and have been proposed as good candidates to assess the toxic effects of freshwater systems contaminated by insecticides. Thus, the present study aims to evaluate the sublethal concentrations of a fipronil-based insecticide that may affect the planarian physiology. After chronic exposure to Regent 800 WG®, a significant decrease in locomotor velocity (LOEC—6.25 mg·L−1), regeneration of the auricles and photoreceptors (LOEC—3.13 mg·L−1), and reproduction (fecundity—LOEC 12.5 mg·L−1) were observed. The results of our study demonstrate that long-term exposure to a pyrazole insecticide can compromise non-target aquatic invertebrates while reinforcing the need for a better investigation of complementary parameters (such as behavior, regeneration, and reproduction) for a more accurate risk assessment of commercial pesticide toxicity in freshwater systems.
Deep-Learning-Based Real-Time and Automatic Target-to-Background Ratio Calculation in Fluorescence Endoscopy for Cancer Detection and Localization
Authors: Jiang Yang , Chen Jing , Gong Chen , Wang Thomas D. , Seibel Eric J.
Published: August 2022

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is a deadly cancer that is rising rapidly in incidence. The early detection of EAC with curative intervention greatly improves the prognoses of patients. A scanning fiber endoscope (SFE) using fluorescence-labeled peptides that bind rapidly to epidermal growth factor receptors showed a promising performance for early EAC detection. Target-to-background (T/B) ratios were calculated to quantify the fluorescence images for neoplasia lesion classification. This T/B calculation is generally based on lesion segmentation with the Chan–Vese algorithm, which may require hyperparameter adjustment when segmenting frames with different brightness and contrasts, which impedes automation to real-time video. Deep learning models are more robust to these changes, while accurate pixel-level segmentation ground truth is challenging to establish in the medical field. Since within our dataset the ground truth contained only a frame-level diagnosis, we proposed a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system to calculate the T/B ratio in real time. A two-step process using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) was developed to achieve automatic suspicious frame selection and lesion segmentation for T/B calculation. In the segmentation model training for Step 2, the lesion labels were generated with a manually tuned Chan–Vese algorithm using the labeled and predicted suspicious frames from Step 1. In Step 1, we designed and trained deep CNNs to select suspicious frames using a diverse and representative set of 3427 SFE images collected from 25 patient videos from two clinical trials. We tested the models on 1039 images from 10 different SFE patient videos and achieved a sensitivity of 96.4%, a specificity of 96.6%, a precision of 95.5%, and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.989. In Step 2, 1006 frames containing suspicious lesions were used for training for fluorescence target segmentation. The segmentation models were tested on two clinical datasets with 100 SFE frames each and achieved mean intersection-over-union values of 0.89 and 0.88, respectively. The T/B ratio calculations based on our segmentation results were similar to the manually tuned Chan–Vese algorithm, which were 1.71 ± 0.22 and 1.72 ± 0.28, respectively, with a p-value of 0.872. With the graphic processing unit (GPU), the proposed two-step CAD system achieved 50 fps for frame selection and 15 fps for segmentation and T/B calculation, which showed that the frame rejection in Step 1 improved the diagnostic efficiency. This CAD system with T/B ratio as the real-time indicator is designed to guide biopsies and surgeries and to serve as a reliable second observer to localize and outline suspicious lesions highlighted by fluorescence probes topically applied in organs where cancer originates in the epithelia.
Nonischemic Super-Responders in Fusion CRT Pacing with Normal Atrioventricular Conduction
Authors: Goanță Emilia-Violeta , Luca Constantin-Tudor , Vacarescu Cristina , Crișan Simina , Petrescu Lucian , Vatasescu Radu , Lazăr Mihai-Andrei , Gurgu Andra , Turi Vladiana-Romina , Cozma Dragos
Published: August 2022

Background: Fusion CRT pacing (FCRT) is noninferior to biventricular pacing, according to the current data. The aim of this study is to assess the response to FCRT and to identify predictors of super-responders (SRs) in a nonischemic population with normal AV conduction. Methods: LV-only CRT patients (pts) with a right atrium/left ventricle pacing system implanted in two CRT centers in Romania were included. Device interrogation, exercise tests, echocardiography, and individualized drug optimization were performed every 6 months during close follow-up. SRs pts were defined as those with left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV) improvement ≥30% and stable ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥45%. Results: A total of 25 out of 83 pts (31%) were SRs, with nonischemic LBBB low EF cardiomyopathy (50 male, 62 ± 9 y.o.) initially included. Mean follow-up was 5 years ± 27 months. Patients were divided in two groups: SRs and non-SRs (52 responders/6 hypo-responders). Two predictors were found in the SRs group: a higher baseline LVEF (SRs 29 ± 5% vs. non-SRs 26 ± 5%, p = 0.02) and a lower pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (SRs 38 ± 11 mm Hg vs. non-SRs 50 ± 15 mmHg, p = 0.003). Baseline severe mitral regurgitation was found in 11% of SRs vs. 64% in the non-SRs group. Conclusions: SRs in the selected NICM-FCRT group are significative high. Higher baseline LVEF and mild pulmonary arterial hypertension were independently associated with super-response.
Clinicopathological Relevance of PAX8 Expression Patterns in Acute Kidney Injury and Chronic Kidney Diseases
Authors: Zivotic Maja , Dundjerovic Dusko , Naumovic Radomir , Kovacevic Sanjin , Ivanov Milan , Karanovic Danijela , Nikolic Gorana , Markovic-Lipkovski Jasmina , Radojevic Skodric Sanja , Nesovic Ostojic Jelena
Published: August 2022

Transcription factor PAX8, expressed during embryonic kidney development, has been previously detected in various kidney tumors. In order to investigate expression of PAX8 transcription factor in acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney diseases (CKD), immunohistochemical analysis was performed. Presence, location and extent of PAX8 expression were analyzed among 31 human kidney samples of AKI (25 autopsy cases, 5 kidney biopsies with unknown etiology and 1 AKI with confirmed myoglobin cast nephropathy), as well as in animals with induced postischemic AKI. Additionally, expression pattern was analyzed in 20 kidney biopsy samples of CKD. Our study demonstrates that various kidney diseases with chronic disease course that results in the formation of tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis, lead to PAX8 expression in the nuclei of proximal tubules. Furthermore, patients with PAX8 detected within the damaged proximal tubuli would be carefully monitored, since deterioration in kidney function was observed during follow-up. We also showed that myoglobin provoked acute kidney injury followed with large extent of renal damage, was associated with strong nuclear expression of PAX8 in proximal tubular cells. These results were supported and followed by data obtained in experimental model of induced postischemic acute kidney injury. Considering these findings, we can assume that PAX8 protein might be involved in regeneration process and recovery after acute kidney injury. Thus, accordingly, all investigation concerning PAX8 immunolabeling should be performed on biopsy samples of the living individuals.
Chronic Headache Attributed to Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency
Authors: Ha Sang Woo , Kim Young Seo , Yoon Eun Joo , Kang Hyun Goo
Published: August 2022

Vertebrobasilar insufficiency, a condition characterized by poor blood flow to the posterior portion of the brain, can cause headaches. However, the exact underlying mechanism is not yet fully understood. The patient enrolled in our study reported experiencing intermittent headaches radiating from the left shoulder, similar to chronic tension-type headaches. His aggravated headache and severe left vertebral artery stenosis were detected by brain computed tomography angiography. Stent insertion successfully expanded the patient’s narrowed left vertebral artery orifice. Subsequently, the patient’s headaches improved without recurrence during the one-year follow-up period. In summary, chronic headaches attributed to vertebrobasilar insufficiency in this study, improved after stent insertion to reverse severe left vertebral artery stenosis.
The Impact of Stroke on the Quality of Life (QOL) of Stroke Survivors in the Southeast (SE) Communities of Nigeria: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Adigwe Gloria Ada , Tribe Rachel , Alloh Folashade , Smith Patricia
Published: August 2022

Purpose: This study aims to explore the Quality of Life (QOL) amongst ten stroke survivors in the SE communities of Nigeria. Design: Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was utilized. Setting: Medical institutes in the southeast communities of Nigeria. Participants: 10 participants ranging in age from 29 to 72 years old. Stroke is typically a life-changing catastrophe, claiming over 55 million lives and disabling 44 million people each year. According to the research, stroke incidence has decreased by 42% in high-income nations worldwide but has increased by 100% in low-income areas such as Africa. Surviving a stroke can be a long-term process that impacts numerous elements of an individual’s life. Stroke-related QOL is a major health care issue in Nigeria that has received insufficient attention. The primary objective for survivors is to improve their QOL. Thus, it is critical to understand the true impact of stroke on the QOL of stroke survivors from their perspective. Individual, semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 10 stroke survivors were conducted. An IPA approach shaped the interview process and the analysis of the data. Three main themes arose from the data: an ‘unfamiliar self’ which illuminated the altered body (unpredictable body), the ‘recovery of the embodied self’ (the transitional stage of recovery) and the ‘reconstruction of the embodied self, which reflected a continuous process of belonging and becoming. The impact of stroke on survivors’ QOL was twofold: negative and positive. The physical dimension had the largest detrimental impact on the survivors’ QOL, according to the findings. Spirituality, on the other hand, had the most positive impact on survivors’ QOL in Nigeria’s southeast communities.
Evolution of Machine Learning in Tuberculosis Diagnosis: A Review of Deep Learning-Based Medical Applications
Authors: Singh Manisha , Pujar Gurubasavaraj Veeranna , Kumar Sethu Arun , Bhagyalalitha Meduri , Akshatha Handattu Shankaranarayana , Abuhaija Belal , Alsoud Anas Ratib , Abualigah Laith , Beeraka Narasimha M. , Gandomi Amir H.
Published: August 2022

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that has been a major menace to human health globally, causing millions of deaths yearly. Well-timed diagnosis and treatment are an arch to full recovery of the patient. Computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) has been a hopeful choice for TB diagnosis. Many CAD approaches using machine learning have been applied for TB diagnosis, specific to the artificial intelligence (AI) domain, which has led to the resurgence of AI in the medical field. Deep learning (DL), a major branch of AI, provides bigger room for diagnosing deadly TB disease. This review is focused on the limitations of conventional TB diagnostics and a broad description of various machine learning algorithms and their applications in TB diagnosis. Furthermore, various deep learning methods integrated with other systems such as neuro-fuzzy logic, genetic algorithm, and artificial immune systems are discussed. Finally, multiple state-of-the-art tools such as CAD4TB, Lunit INSIGHT, qXR, and InferRead DR Chest are summarized to view AI-assisted future aspects in TB diagnosis.
Routing Protocol for MANET Based on QoS-Aware Service Composition with Dynamic Secured Broker Selection
Authors: Ramalingam Rajakumar , Muniyan Rajeswari , Dumka Ankur , Singh Devesh Pratap , Mohamed Heba G. , Singh Rajesh , Anand Divya , Noya Irene Delgado
Published: August 2022

MANET is a mobile ad hoc network with many mobile nodes communicating without a centralized module. Infrastructure-less networks make it desirable for many researchers to publish and bind multimedia services. Each node in this infrastructure-less network acts as self-organizing and re-configurable. It allows services to deploy and attain from another node over the ad hoc network. The service composition aims to provide a user’s requirement by combining different atomic services based on non-functional QoS parameters such as reliability, availability, scalability, etc. To provide service composition in MANET is challenging because of the node mobility, link failure, and topology changes, so a traditional protocol will be sufficient to obtain real-time services from mobile nodes. In this paper, the ad hoc on-demand distance vector protocol (AODV) is used and analyzed based on MANET’s QoS (Quality of Service) metrics. The QoS metrics for MANET depends on delay, bandwidth, memory capacity, network load, and packet drop. The requester node and provider node broker acts as a composer for this MANET network. The authors propose a QoS-based Dynamic Secured Broker Selection architecture (QoSDSBS) for service composition in MANET, which uses a dynamic broker and provides a secure path selection based on QoS metrics. The proposed algorithm is simulated using Network Simulator (NS2) with 53 intermediate nodes and 35 mobile nodes of area 1000 m × 1000 m. The comparative results show that the proposed architecture outperforms, with standards, the AODV protocol and affords higher scalability and a reduced network load.
The Impact of Collective Forestland Tenure Reform on Rural Household Income: The Background of Rural Households’ Divergence
Authors: Wei Jian , Xiao Hui , Liu Can , Huang Xiaotao , Zhang Dahong
Published: August 2022

As the direct subject of collective forestland tenure reform, increasing farmers’ income is an important goal of collective forestland tenure reform and the key to sustainable management of forest resources. Based on the survey data of 1276 rural households in 18 counties in 9 provinces, we construct a theoretical analysis framework of the impact of collective forestland tenure reform on household income from the perspective of rural household differentiation and elucidate the mechanism of the effect of collective forestland tenure reform on household income in the context of the rural household differentiation. The results of the empirical analysis show that, firstly, the collective forestland tenure reform significantly increases the total income, forestry income, and off-farm income of rural households, but the effect of income increase differs significantly among different groups of rural households with different income levels, showing the characteristic of “benefitting the rich more than the poor”. Secondly, as rural household differentiation deepens, there is a moderating effect of rural household differentiation in the income-raising effect of collective forestland tenure reform, i.e., collective forestland tenure reform has a stronger marginal effect on the forestry income of shallowly differentiated rural households and a weaker marginal effect on their off-farm income compared to deeply differentiated rural households. Finally, the income increase effect of collective forestland tenure reform shows significant situational dependence in both forestland operation scale and human capital endowment. The income-raising effect of collective forestland tenure reform is stronger for forestry income of large operation scale farmers, while it is stronger for off-farm income of small operation scale farmers; the income-raising effect of collective forestland tenure reform is stronger for farmers with high quantity and quality human capital endowment than for farmers with low quantity and quality human capital endowment. Therefore, this paper attempts to provide a policy adjustment idea to deepen the policies related to collective forestland tenure reform by starting from the farmer differentiation side.
Criteria and Indicators to Define Priority Areas for Biodiversity Conservation in Vietnam
Authors: Vu Xuan Dinh , Csaplovics Elmar , Marrs Christopher , Nguyen Trung Thanh
Published: August 2022

Balancing biodiversity conservation with land use for agricultural production is a major societal challenge. Conservation activities must be prioritized since funds and resources for conservation are insufficient in the context of current threats, and conservation competes with other societal priorities. In order to contribute to conservation priority-setting literature, we applied an environmental model, Pressure–State–Response (PSR), to develop a set of criteria for identifying priority areas for biodiversity conservation in Vietnam. Our empirical data have been compiled from 185 respondents and categorized into three groups: Governmental Administration and Organizations, Universities and Research Institutions, and Protected Areas. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) theory was used to identify the weight of all criteria. Our results show that the priority levels for biodiversity conservation identified by these three factors are 41% for “Pressure”, 26% for “State”, and 33% for “Response”. Based on these three factors, seven criteria and seventeen indicators were developed to determine priority areas for biodiversity conservation. Besides, our study also reveals that the groups of Governmental Administration and organizations and Protected Areas put a focus on the “Pressure” factor, while the group of Universities and Research Institutions emphasized the importance of the “Response” factor in the evaluation process. We suggest that these criteria and indicators be used to identify priority areas for biodiversity conservation in Vietnam.
The Influence of Plant Community Characteristics in Urban Parks on the Microclimate
Authors: Bao Yu , Gao Ming , Luo Dan , Zhou Xudan
Published: August 2022

The hot and humid feeling of the urban environment enhances residents’ discomfort indices. Although the cooling and humidifying effects of plant communities in various urban parks are significant, there is still insufficient evidence for the effects of plant community characteristics on temperature and humidity. In this study, 36 typical plant communities in the Changchun Water Culture and Ecological Park in China were selected in the summer (21–23 August 2020) from 8:00 to 18:00 for three days when it was sunny and windless. We obtained plant community characteristics through field measurements and drone recordings to explore the relationship between plant community characteristics and the mechanism of temperature and humidity. The study observed that (1) the canopy density and three-dimensional green amount were significantly related to the benefits of cooling and humidification. When the canopy density is between 0.7 and 0.8 and the three-dimensional green volume is above 4 m³/m², the greatest benefit is achieved; (2) the discomfort index is between 0.6 and 0.8, and the three-dimensional green volume is 4 m³/m²–6 m³/m² minimum; and (3) the changes in temperature and humidity are different for different types of plant communities, which lead to differences in people’s perceptions of environmental comfort. The tree–grassland and tree–shrub–grass types had the most apparent improvement effects on comfort. The results show that in the design process of urban park plants, emphasis is placed on plant community configuration with apparent cooling and humidification effects, which can improve the comfort of tourists in hot and humid environments. The research results provide theoretical support for sustainable urban green space development.
Assessment of Composite with Fibers as a Support for Antibacterial Nanomaterials: A Case Study of Bacterial Cellulose, Polylactide and Usual Textile
Authors: Lyagin Ilya , Maslova Olga , Stepanov Nikolay , Presnov Denis , Efremenko Elena
Published: August 2022

To obtain composite fiber materials with antibacterial properties, the samples of bacterial cellulose (BC), polylactide (PLA) and usual fibers (FM) were modified by poly-ε-caprolactone or polyhydroxybutyrate and then functionalized by the enzyme-polyelectrolyte complex of quorum-quenching enzymes, such as hexahistidine-tagged organophosphorus hydrolase with poly(glutamic acid) or by suspension of tantalum nanoparticles (Ta NPs) in ethanol. The structures of the composite fibers were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. It was shown that the introduction of additional natural polymers into the matrix of BC, PLA and FM resulted in decreasing of the structural porosity. Comparative studies of the antibacterial activity of the composite materials were carried out using Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis cells. The decrease of adenosine triphosphate concentration in cell samples loaded onto fiber materials was applied as a measurable characteristic of antibacterial effect typical for the new fiber materials. The profound improvement of antibacterial activity was determined in composite materials with polyhydroxybutyrate and Ta NPs.
A Novel Hypoxia Related Marker in Blood Link to Aid Diagnosis and Therapy in Osteoarthritis
Authors: Yao Shunhan , Deng Meiling , Du Xiaojing , Huang Rongzhi , Chen Qingfeng
Published: August 2022

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common chronic degenerative arthritis. Its treatment options are very limited. At present, hypoxia is a prominent factor in OA. This study aimed to re-explore the mechanism between hypoxia and OA, which provides new insights into the diagnosis and therapy of OA. We acquired the OA-related expression profiles of GSE48556, GSE55235, and GSE55457 for our analysis. Using gene set variation analysis (GSVA), we found significant differences in hypoxia. These differences result from multiple pathways, such as the p53 signaling pathway, cell senescence, the NF-kappa B signaling pathway, Ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, and apoptosis. Meanwhile, the single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) showed that hypoxia was significantly associated with the level of immune cell infiltration in the immune microenvironment. Thus, we believe that hypoxia is useful for the diagnosis and treatment of OA. We successfully constructed a novel hypoxia-related index (HRI) based on seven hypoxia-related genes (ADM, CDKN3, ENO1, NDRG1, PGAM1, SLC2A1, VEGFA) by least absolute shrinkage and binary logistic regression of the generalized linear regression. HRI showed potential for improving OA diagnosis through receiver operation characteristic (ROC) analysis (AUC training cohort = 0.919, AUC testing cohort = 0.985). Moreover, we found that celastrol, droxinostat, torin-2, and narciclasine may be potential therapeutic compounds for OA based on the Connectivity Map (CMap). In conclusion, hypoxia is involved in the development and progression of OA. HRI can improve diagnosis and show great potential in clinical application. Celastrol, droxinostat, torin-2, and narciclasine may be potential compounds for the treatment of OA patients.
Severe Lymphatic Disorder and Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia Treated with Trametinib in a Patient with Noonan Syndrome and SOS1 Mutation
Authors: Lioncino Michele , Fusco Adelaide , Monda Emanuele , Colonna Diego , Sibilio Michelina , Caiazza Martina , Magri Daniela , Borrelli Angela Carla , D’Onofrio Barbara , Mazzella Maria Luisa , Colantuono Rossella , Arienzo Maria Rosaria , Sarubbi Berardo , Russo Maria Giovanna , Chello Giovanni , Limongelli Giuseppe
Published: August 2022

Noonan syndrome (NS) is a multisystemic disorder caused by germline mutations in the Ras/MAPK cascade, causing a broad spectrum of phenotypical abnormalities, including abnormal facies, developmental delay, bleeding diathesis, congenital heart disease (mainly pulmonary stenosis and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy), lymphatic disorders, and uro-genital abnormalities. Multifocal atrial tachycardia has been associated with NS, where it may occur independently of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Trametinib, a highly selective MEK1/2 inhibitor currently approved for the treatment of cancer, has been shown to reverse left ventricular hypertrophy in two RIT1-mutated newborns with NS and severe hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Severe lymphatic abnormalities may contribute to decreased pulmonary compliance in NS, and pulmonary lymphangiectasias should be included in the differential diagnosis of a newborn requiring prolonged oxygen administration. Herein we report the case of a pre-term newborn who was admitted to our unit for the occurrence of severe respiratory distress and subentrant MAT treated with trametinib.
CCR4-NOT Complex 2—A Cofactor in Host Cell for Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Infection
Authors: Wang Jieru , Liu Hailong , Yin Dongdong , Zhou Mei , Yin Lei , Yang Yuqing , Guo Zishi , Shen Xuehuai , Dai Yin , Shi Shaohua , Xie Shengsong , Zhao Ruihong , Zhou Xueli , Hu Xiaomiao , Hou Hongyan , Wang Chonglong , Pan Xiaocheng
Published: August 2022

The porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) has catastrophic impacts on the global pig industry. However, there is no consensus on the primary receptor associated with the PEDV invasion of host cells. An increasing number of studies have reported that PEDV invading host cells may require collaboration between multiple receptors and to better understand the virus-host interaction during PEDV entry, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assays are performed to investigate relevant host factors interacting with PEDV spike-1 protein (S1) in Vero and IPEC-J2 cell membranes. Subsequently, the rabbit anti-PEDV S1 polyclonal antibody is used as bait to recognize the complexes of IPEC-J2 membrane proteins with or without PEDV infection, followed by detection using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS). Our results show that 13 and 10 proteins interacting between the S1 protein and plasma membrane protein of Vero or IPEC-J2 can be identified. More specifically, a total of 11 differentially expressed interacting proteins were identified in IPEC-J2 membrane proteins after PEDV infection, compared to the uninfected group. Furthermore, we found that the differentially interacting protein CCR4-NOT complex 2 (CNOT2), identified in PEDV S1 with plasma membrane proteins of Vero cells, is involved in viral infection. The results show that the knockout of CNOT2 significantly inhibits PEDV replication in vitro. These data provide novel insights into the entry mechanism of PEDV.
Reproductive Strategies and Population Genetic Structure in Two Dryland River Floodplain Plants, Marsilea drummondii and Eleocharis acuta
Authors: Higgisson William , Broadhurst Linda , Shams Foyez , Gruber Bernd , Dyer Fiona
Published: August 2022

Aquatic plants share a range of convergent reproductive strategies, such as the ability to reproduce both sexually and asexually through vegetative growth. In dryland river systems, floodplain inundation is infrequent and irregular, and wetlands consist of discrete and unstable habitat patches. In these systems, life history strategies such as long-distance dispersal, seed longevity, self-fertilisation, and reproduction from vegetative propagules are important strategies that allow plants to persist. Using two aquatic plants, Marsilea drummondii and Eleocharis acuta, we investigated the proportions of sexual and asexual reproduction and self-fertilisation by employing next-generation sequencing approaches, and we used this information to understand the population genetic structure of a large inland floodplain in western New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Asexual vegetative reproduction and self-fertilisation were more common in M. drummondii, but both species used sexual reproduction as the main mode of reproduction. This resulted in a highly differentiated genetic structure between wetlands and a similar genetic structure within wetlands. The similarity in genetic structure was influenced by the wetland in the two species, highlighting the influence of the floodplain landscape and hydrology on structuring population genetic structure. The high levels of genetic variation among wetlands and the low variation within wetlands suggests that dispersal and pollination occur within close proximity and that gene flow is restricted. This suggests a reliance on locally sourced (persistent) seed, rather than asexual (clonal) reproduction or recolonisation via dispersal, for the population maintenance of plants in dryland rivers. This highlights the importance of floodplain inundation to promote seed germination, establishment, and reproduction in dryland regions.
Antimicrobial Resistance Analysis of Escherichia coli Isolated from Pigeons in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
Authors: Wang Anqi , Hu Changmin
Published: August 2022

With the development of the pigeon industry in Qingdao, more attention is paid to scientific breeding and precise treatment. This study isolated and identified Escherichia coli from pigeons in Qingdao to determine their susceptibility to 18 antibiotics. The PCR method was used to detect the prevalence of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase genes, carbapenem resistance genes, 16S rRNA methylase genes and plasmid-mediated colistin resistance genes in the isolates. The results showed that Escherichia coli isolated from pigeons in Qingdao were the most resistant to tetracycline, followed by ampicillin, conventional cyclosporines, quinolones, cephalosporins, and aminoglycosides. No isolates were found to be resistant to amikacin, meropenem, colistin, tigecycline, and fosfomycin. The resistance to some antibiotics (ampicillin, tetracycline, and florfenicol) and the muti-drug resistance of Escherichia coli from meat pigeons were both higher than those from homing and ornamental pigeons. A total of 24.8% of the isolates showed multi-drug resistance, especially triple-drug resistance. Two isolates were found to carry ESBLs resistance genes. Hopefully, this study will provide a certain scientific basis for the clinical medication of pigeon colibacillosis, helping to prevent antimicrobial resistance transmission of Escherichia coli among different host animals and humans and maintain public health safety in Qingdao.
Kelvin and Rossby Wave Contributions to the Mechanisms of the Madden–Julian Oscillation
Authors: Haertel Patrick
Published: August 2022

The Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) is a large-scale tropical weather system that generates heavy rainfall over the equatorial Indian and western Pacific Oceans on a 40–50 day cycle. Its circulation propagates eastward around the entire world and impacts tropical cyclone genesis, monsoon onset, and mid-latitude flooding. This study examines the mechanism of the MJO in the Lagrangian atmospheric model (LAM), which has been shown to simulate the MJO accurately, and which predicts that MJO circulations will intensify as oceans warm. The LAM MJO’s first baroclinic circulation is projected onto a Kelvin wave leaving a residual that closely resembles a Rossby wave. The contribution of each wave type to moisture and moist enthalpy budgets is assessed. While the vertical advection of moisture by the Kelvin wave accounts for most of the MJO’s precipitation, this wave also exports a large amount of dry static energy, so that in total, it reduces the column integrated moist enthalpy during periods of heavy precipitation. In contrast, the Rossby wave’s horizontal circulation builds up moisture prior to the most intense convection, and its surface wind perturbations enhance evaporation near the center of MJO convection. Surface fluxes associated with the Kelvin wave help to maintain its circulation outside of the MJO’s convectively active region.
Incidence of Long-Term Pulmonary Vein Reconnection after a 2-Minute Cryoballoon Freeze for Pulmonary Vein Isolation—Invasive Insights of TTI-Dependent Cryoenergy Titration
Authors: Pott Alexander , Baumhardt Michael , Al-Masalmeh Mohammad , Wolf Alexander , Schiele Matthias , Schweizer Christiane , Bothner Carlo , Aktolga Deniz , Teumer Yannick , Weinmann Karolina , Rottbauer Wolfgang , Dahme Tillman
Published: August 2022

Introduction: The optimal freeze duration in cryoballoon pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is unknown. TTI-based titration of cryoenergy allows individualized freeze duration and has emerged as a favorable ablation strategy in PV cryoablation. In a recent study, we demonstrated that omission of a bonus freeze and reduction in freeze duration to a minimum of 2 min in the case of short TTI led to comparable arrhythmia recurrence rates. Whereas clinical outcome seems to be comparable to fixed freeze duration, evidence of long-term PV reconnection rates in patients undergoing TTI-based cryoballoon ablation is sparse. Aim of the study: To evaluate the procedural efficacy of a single 2-min freeze for PVI, we assessed PV conduction recovery after cryoballoon PVI with a TTI-guided titration of freeze duration compared to a fixed ablation protocol. Methods and Results: We included consecutive patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence undergoing a second ablation procedure after the initial cryoballoon procedure. The second AF ablation procedure was performed by the 3D-mapping system and radiofrequency ablation technique. A total of 219 patients (age: 66.2 ± 10.8 years, 53% female, paroxysmal AF: 53%) treated with the TTI-guided protocol (174 patients, 685 PV) or fixed protocol (45 patients, 179 PV) showed comparable total reconnection rates (TTI: 36.9% vs. fixed: 31.8%, p = 0.21). The PV reconnection rate was not statistically different for PVs treated with a 2-min freeze in case of short TTI, compared to longer freeze duration. Interestingly, the PV reconnection rate was lower in LIPVs treated with the fixed protocol (13% vs. 31%, p = 0.029). In the TTI group, 17 out of 127 patients (15%) had durable isolation of all PVs, whereas in 8 out of 40 patients (20%) in the fixed group, all PVs were still isolated (p = 0.31). Conclusions: overall reconnection rate was not different using a TTI-guided ablation protocol compared to a fixed ablation protocol, whereas the LIPV reconnection rate was significantly lower in patients treated with a fixed ablation protocol.
Evidence of Validity and Normative Values of a New Auditory Backward Masking Test
Authors: Filippini Renata , Leite Filho Carlos Alberto , Barros Gabriela Melo Santos Bonassa , Musiek Frank E. , Schochat Eliane
Published: August 2022

There are still no valid, clinically feasible instruments to assess backward masking (BM), an auditory temporal processing (ATP) phenomenon. The aim of this study was to develop, standardize and present evidence of validity for a behavioral test for BM assessment. Young adults were submitted to a BM test (BMT), where they were asked to identify a 1000 Hz pure tone followed by a narrowband noise with interstimulus intervals of 0 to 400 ms and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) between −20 and −30 dB. The correct response rate and target sound detection threshold were calculated, and the results compared with those of young adults with abnormal ATP tests and older adults. Diagnostic accuracy analyses were carried out. Young adults with normal ATP obtained an average correct response rate of 89 and 87% for SNR −20 and −30 dB, respectively, with average thresholds between 10 and 15 ms and no difference between the left and right ears. Results were more consistent at SNR −20 dB, and the best diagnostic accuracy was obtained for SNR −20 dB, with good specificity, but low sensitivity. Normative values were obtained for the BMT, which proved to be clinically feasible, with preliminary evidence of validity.
A Robustness Evaluation of Machine Learning Algorithms for ECG Myocardial Infarction Detection
Authors: Sraitih Mohamed , Jabrane Younes , Hajjam El Hassani Amir
Published: August 2022

An automatic electrocardiogram (ECG) myocardial infarction detection system needs to satisfy several requirements to be efficient in real-world practice. These requirements, such as reliability, less complexity, and high performance in decision-making, remain very important in a realistic clinical environment. In this study, we investigated an automatic ECG myocardial infarction detection system and presented a new approach to evaluate its robustness and durability performance in classifying the myocardial infarction (with no feature extraction) under different noise types. We employed three well-known supervised machine learning models: support vector machine (SVM), k-nearest neighbors (KNN), and random forest (RF), and tested the performance and robustness of these techniques in classifying normal (NOR) and myocardial infarction (MI) using real ECG records from the PTB database after normalization and segmentation of the data, with a suggested inter-patient paradigm separation as well as noise from the MIT-BIH noise stress test database (NSTDB). Finally, we measured four metrics: accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score. The simulation revealed that all of the models performed well, with values of over 0.50 at lower SNR levels, in terms of all the metrics investigated against different types of noise, indicating that they are encouraging and acceptable under extreme noise situations are are thus considered sustainable and robust models for specific forms of noise. All of the methods tested could be used as ECG myocardial infarction detection tools in real-world practice under challenging circumstances.
Position of the Hyoid Bone and Dimension of Nasopharynx and Oropharynx after Occlusal Splint Therapy and Physiotherapy in Patients Diagnosed with Temporomandibular Disorders
Authors: Derwich Marcin , Pawlowska Elzbieta
Published: August 2022

Background: The aim of the study was to assess the position of the hyoid bone, as well as the width of the nasopharynx and oropharynx after occlusal splint therapy combined with physiotherapy in patients diagnosed with temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Methods: This was a clinical trial study. The study group consisted of 40 patients diagnosed with TMD, who were qualified for the treatment combining physiotherapy and occlusal splint therapy. Hyoid bone position as well as the width of the nasopharynx and oropharynx were assessed in lateral cephalograms taken before and after the end of the treatment. There were 15 generally healthy participants included into the control group, who had taken lateral cephalograms twice within the period of 1 to 2 years and did not receive any occlusal treatment in the meantime. Results: The position of the hyoid bone was significantly lowered and the dimension of the lower part of the oropharynx was significantly decreased after the end of the long-term occlusal splint therapy combined with physiotherapy in patients diagnosed with TMD. Conclusions: Long-term occlusal splint therapy combined with physiotherapy affected the position of the hyoid bone and the dimension of the lower part of the oropharynx.