bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring the Importance of Gender, Family Affluence, Parenting Style and Loneliness in Cyberbullying Victimization and Aggression among Romanian Adolescents
Authors: Iorga Magdalena , Pop Lavinia Maria , Croitoru Irina , Hanganu Elena , Anton-Păduraru Dana-Teodora
Published: November 2022

The increasing phenomenon of cyberbullying among adolescents needs parental, educational, and social intervention. The study aimed to identify the prevalence of cyberbullying among Romanian adolescents and the importance of gender, family-related factors, self-esteem, and parental styles in both victims and perpetrators. A total of 835 adolescents aged 10–19 years were included in the research. An online questionnaire was specially constructed for this research, gathering socio-demographic and family-related data along with information about cyberbullying as a victim, aggressor, or bystander, and strategies used in order to deal with it. Four psychological scales were used to evaluate self-esteem, loneliness, cybervictimization/cyberaggression, and parental style. (3) Results showed that the most common age for a personal smartphone is M = 10.24 ± 2.43. The main reasons why students use these networks are primarily chatting and fun and less for academic tasks. During the week, adolescents spend 5.53 ± 2.75 h on social media, while during weekends, the duration of smartphone usage almost doubles. Girls are the most common victims of cyberbullying, and less than three-quarters of students believe that aggressors can be both girls and boys, and only a quarter of them have reported an incident. Family affluence, the relationship with parents and classmates, the presence of loneliness and sociodemographic factors were found to be in a strong relationship with the presence of aggression and/or victimization among adolescents. Cyberaggression was found to be positively correlated with the aggressive parental style and negatively correlated with the compassionate and avoidant parental styles. Results are crucial for identifying cyberbullying actors and preventing the negative effects of cyberbullying on psychological, social, and academic life for students, parents, and teachers.
Can Museums Help Visitors Thrive? Review of Studies on Psychological Wellbeing in Museums
Authors: Šveb Dragija Marta , Jelinčić Daniela Angelina
Published: November 2022

Museums are expected to prove their social value and ability to have a long-term social impact. Hence, in order to do so, museums, as experience hubs and the most-visited cultural attraction, may use their potential to offer experiences that could help visitors thrive by increasing their psychological wellbeing. Although psychological wellbeing has been a hot topic, the synthesized and holistic review of the literature on this theme has been lacking in regard to museums. Hence, we conducted an analysis using the PRISMA protocol to answer two research questions: (1) Can museums increase the visitor’s psychological wellbeing? (2) How can the museum experience be designed to enhance the psychological wellbeing of the visitors and how can that potentially be measured? The results showed that museums can enhance visitors’ and other stakeholders’ psychological wellbeing. This can be achieved by designing museum experiences that are attractive, comfortable (restorative), comprehensible, participative, innovative, and sustainable, relying on specific detailed guidelines provided in the article. The Museum Wellbeing Toolkit serves to measure the efficiency of the proposed guidelines in stimulating the psychological wellbeing of museum visitors. If backed by wellbeing policy frameworks, museums may increase their role in fostering psychological wellbeing. As wellbeing public policies have been rather rare to date, future research may explore the effects of the existing ones to provide recommendations for new developments on the topic.
Optimization of Graphene Oxide Incorporated in Fly Ash-Based Self-Compacting Concrete
Authors: Khed Veerendrakumar C. , Pesaralanka Vyshnavi , Adamu Musa , Ibrahim Yasser E. , Azab Marc , Reddy M. Achyutha Kumar , Hakamy Ahmad , Deifalla Ahmed Farouk
Published: November 2022

Self-compacting concrete (SCC) was developed to overcome the challenges of concrete placement in dense or congested reinforcement structure, where the concrete can flow under its own weight to fill the densely reinforced structure. However, production of SCC mostly involves the use of high cement to achieve the desired strength. Therefore, to reduce the needed amount of cement, pozzolanic materials such as fly ash can be used to partially replace cement. However, fly ash has been reported to decrease the strengths of concrete especially at early ages. In this study, a self-compacting concrete (SCC) was developed with fly ash as a basic replacement material considering the efficiency of fly ash and incorporating graphene oxide (GO) as a cement additive to counteract the negative effect of fly ash. Response surface methodology (RSM) was utilized for designing the experiments, investigating the effects of fly ash and GO on SCC properties, and developing mathematical models for predicting mechanical properties of SCC. The ranges of fly ash and graphene oxide were 16.67 to 35% and zero to 0.05%, respectively. Statistical analysis was performed by using Design Expert software (version 11.0, Stat Ease Inc., Minneapolis, MS, USA). The results showed that fly ash had a positive effect while GO had a negative effect on the workability of SCC. The incorporation of fly ash alone decreased the compressive strength (CS), splitting tensile strength (STS) and flexural strength (FS), and additionally, increased the porosity of SCC. The addition of GO to fly ash-based SCC reduced its porosity and enhanced its mechanical strengths which was more pronounced at early ages. The developed models for predicting the mechanical strengths of fly ash-based SCC containing GO have a very high degree of correlation. Therefore, the models can predicts the strengths of SCC using fly ash and GO as the variables with a high level of accuracy. The findings show that based on the EFNARC guidelines, up to 35% of fly ash can be used to replace cement in SCC to achieve a mix with satisfactory flowability and deformability properties
A Review of Thermal Comfort in Primary Schools and Future Challenges in Machine Learning Based Prediction for Children
Authors: Lala Betty , Hagishima Aya
Published: November 2022

Children differ from adults in their physiology and cognitive ability. Thus, they are extremely vulnerable to classroom thermal comfort. However, very few reviews on the thermal comfort of primary school students are available. Further, children-focused surveys have not reviewed the state-of-the-art in thermal comfort prediction using machine learning (AI/ML). Consequently, there is a need for discussion on children-specific challenges in AI/ML-based prediction. This article bridges these research gaps. It presents a comprehensive review of thermal comfort studies in primary school classrooms since 1962. It considers both conventional (non-ML) studies and the recent AI/ML studies performed for children, classrooms, and primary students. It also underscores the importance of AI/ML prediction by analyzing adaptive opportunities for children/students in classrooms. Thereafter, a review of AI/ML-based prediction studies is presented. Through an AI/ML case-study, it demonstrates that model performance for children and adults differs markedly. Performance of classification models trained on ASHRAE-II database and a recent primary students’ dataset shows a 29% difference in thermal sensation and 86% difference in thermal preference, between adults and children. It then highlights three major children-specific AI/ML challenges, viz., “illogical votes”, “multiple comfort metrics”, and “extreme class imbalance”. Finally, it offers several technical solutions and discusses open problems.
Parametric Study on Contact Explosion Resistance of Steel Wire Mesh Reinforced Geopolymer Based Ultra-High Performance Concrete Slabs Using Calibrated Continuous Surface Cap Model
Authors: Liu Cheng , Liu Jian , Wei Jie , Xu Shenchun , Su Yu
Published: November 2022

This paper conducts a parametric analysis on the response of geopolymer-based ultra-high-performance concrete (G-UHPC) slabs reinforced with steel wire mesh (SWM) subjected to contact explosions using the validated Continuous Surface Cap (CSC) model. Firstly, based on the available experimental data, the CSC model parameters, which account for the yield surface, damage formulation, kinematic hardening, and strain rate effect, were comprehensively developed for G-UHPC. The modified CSC model was initially assessed by comparing the quasi-static test results of G-UHPC. Then, the numerical modeling was performed on 200 mm thick SWM-reinforced G-UHPC slabs against 0.4 kg and 1.0 kg TNT contact explosions. The fair agreement between the numerical and experimental data concerning the local damage of the slabs was reported to demonstrate the applicability of the material and structural models. With the validated numerical models, a parametric study was further acted upon to explore the contribution of the variables of SWM, slab thickness, and TNT equivalence on the local damage and energy evolution of G-UHPC slabs subjected to contact blasts. Moreover, based on simulation results from the parametric study, an updated empirical model was derived to evaluate the local damage pattern and internal energy absorption rate of SWM-reinforced G-UHPC slabs.
Yielding and Ultimate Deformations of Wide and Deep Reinforced Concrete Beams
Authors: Gómez-Martínez Fernando , Pérez-García Agustín
Published: November 2022

Current formulations proposed by Eurocode 8 part 3 for the inelastic deformations of existing reinforced concrete members are assessed separately for wide beams (WB) and conventional deep beams (DB). The current approach, based on a large experimental database of members, predicts larger ultimate chord rotation but lower chord rotation ductility for WB rather than for DB despite the similar curvature ductility, due to lower plastic hinge lengths in WB. However, if the data are disaggregated into DB and WB, predicted chord rotations are consistently conservative for DB and not conservative for WB if compared with experimental values, especially at ultimate deformation. Thus, plastic hinge length may be even greater for DB in comparison to WB. Therefore, some feasible corrections of the formulations for chord rotations are proposed, in order to reduce the bias and thus increase the robustness of the model for cross-section shape variability.
Implementation of Elements of the Concept of Lean Construction in the Fire Protection of Steel Structures at Oil and Gas Facilities
Authors: Gravit Marina , Ikhiyanov Nail , Radaev Anton , Shabunina Daria
Published: November 2022

The work is aimed at developing a procedure for applying the concept of lean construction to improve the technological process of applying fire protection coating on the steel structures of oil and gas facilities. The experience of implementing elements of the concept of lean construction in the activities of the organization of the oil and gas complex is presented. The developed procedure involves the use of elements of the concept of lean construction, such as value stream mapping, the “Spaghetti” diagram, and timekeeping elements of the technological process. For the example of an existing object of the oil and gas facility, the developed methodology for the implementation of the concept of lean construction is realized. The results of implementation showed that the output per worker increased by 33%, the process time for applying fire protection epoxy coating decreased by 35%, and the total distance of the route of workers in the process of applying the composition decreased by 19%. The practical significance of the results in this study consists of the possibility of using the developed procedure in the activities of construction organizations to improve technological processes.
Maximum Somatic Allele Frequency-Adjusted Blood-Based Tumor Mutational Burden Predicts the Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Dong Yiting , Zhu Yixiang , Zhuo Minglei , Chen Xiaomin , Xie Yinpeng , Duan Jianchun , Bai Hua , Hao Shiguang , Yu Zicheng , Yi Yuting , Guan Yanfang , Yuan Jie , Xia Xuefeng , Yi Xin , Wang Jie , Wang Zhijie
Published: November 2022

Introduction: Recent studies exhibited the unstable prediction ability of blood-based tumor mutational burden (bTMB) when predicting the response of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) therapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) abundance, usually represented by maximum somatic allele frequency (MSAF), was one possible confounding factor influencing bTMB ability in ICIs response prediction. Methods: MSAF-adjusted bTMB (Ma-bTMB) was established and validated in patients with advanced NSCLC among Geneplus Cancer Genome Database (GCGD, n = 1679), Zhuo (n = 35), Wang (n = 45), POPLAR (NCT01903993, n = 211) and OAK (NCT02008227, n = 642) cohorts. Results: MSAF demonstrated a modest positive correlation with bTMB and a negative one with survival benefit. Improved survival outcomes of ICIs therapy have been observed among patients with high-Ma-bTMB compared to those with low-Ma-bTMB in Zhuo and Wang cohorts. In addition, compared to low-Ma-bTMB, high-Ma-bTMB was associated with more positive clinical benefits from ICIs therapy than chemotherapy both in POPLAR and OAK cohorts. Further exploration suggested that Ma-bTMB could precisely identify more potential ICIs beneficiaries compared to bTMB and LAF-bTMB, complementary to PD-L1 expression. Conclusions: We developed Ma-bTMB, a convenient, readily available, non-invasive predictive biomarker effectively differentiates beneficiaries of ICIs therapy in advanced NSCLC, warranting future clinical trials.
Natural Killer Cells: A Promising Kit in the Adoptive Cell Therapy Toolbox
Authors: Xiao Jiani , Zhang Tianxiang , Gao Fei , Zhou Zhengwei , Shu Guang , Zou Yizhou , Yin Gang
Published: November 2022

As an important component of the innate immune system, natural killer (NK) cells have gained increasing attention in adoptive cell therapy for their safety and efficacious tumor-killing effect. Unlike T cells which rely on the interaction between TCRs and specific peptide-MHC complexes, NK cells are more prone to be served as “off-the-shelf” cell therapy products due to their rapid recognition and killing of tumor cells without MHC restriction. In recent years, constantly emerging sources of therapeutic NK cells have provided flexible options for cancer immunotherapy. Advanced genetic engineering techniques, especially chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) modification, have yielded exciting effectiveness in enhancing NK cell specificity and cytotoxicity, improving in vivo persistence, and overcoming immunosuppressive factors derived from tumors. In this review, we highlight current advances in NK-based adoptive cell therapy, including alternative sources of NK cells for adoptive infusion, various CAR modifications that confer different targeting specificity to NK cells, multiple genetic engineering strategies to enhance NK cell function, as well as the latest clinical research on adoptive NK cell therapy.
Improved Photoelectrochemical Performance of BiVO4 for Water Oxidation Enabled by the Integration of the Ni@NiO Core–Shell Structure
Authors: Cui Jun-Yuan , Zhu Shi-Shi , Zou Yang , Zhang Yan , Yuan Shao-Yu , Li Tian-Tian , Guo Shi-Yi , Liu Hong , Wang Jian-Jun
Published: November 2022

The development of highly efficient and stable photoelectrode materials is of significant importance for the conversion of solar energy into chemical fuels. Herein, a novel Ni@NiO/BiVO4 photoanode is designed and prepared for efficient water splitting by the deposition of Ni particles on the surface of BiVO4 with subsequent thermal treatment. The integration of the Ni@NiO core–shell structure can efficiently passivate the surface states and accelerate the oxygen evolution kinetics along with the in situ-generated NiOOH, consequently contributing to the significantly improved charge separation efficiency. The resulting Ni@NiO/BiVO4 photoelectrode enabled a photocurrent density of 2.6 mA/cm2 with a surface charge separation efficiency of nearly 80% at the potential of 1.23 VRHE—much better than the unmodified BiVO4 (1.8 mA/cm2, 64%).
Removal of Tetracycline Hydrochloride from Water by Visible-Light Photocatalysis Using BiFeO3/BC Materials
Authors: Fang Zhengyang , Jiang Honghui , Gong Jiamin , Zhang Hengrui , Hu Xi , Ouyang Ke , Guo Yuan , Hu Xinjiang , Wang Hui , Wang Ping
Published: November 2022

It is widely considered that photocatalysis is an effective and eco-friendly method of dealing with organic pollutants dissolved in water. Nonetheless, photocatalysts still have some drawbacks, such as poor visible-light absorption, easy recombination of photogenerated charge carriers, and limited active sites. In this study, bismuth ferrite coupled with biochar material (BiFeO3/BC) was simply synthesized, and its photocatalysis reactivity was systemically examined under an irradiation of λ > 400 nm. The experimental results showed that under a relatively acidic environment, the removal rate of tetracycline hydrochloride reached 95%. Using a variety of characterization investigations, we analyzed the morphology structure and chemical composition of BiFeO3/BC. In consideration of simple preparation and high respondence toward visible light, further explorations of BiFeO3/BC and its properties and optimized degradation conditions are worthwhile.
Study of Photocatalytic Oxidation of Micropollutants in Water and Intensification Case Study
Authors: Radetić Lucija , Marčec Jan , Brnardić Ivan , Čižmar Tihana , Grčić Ivana
Published: November 2022

During the last decades, heterogenous photocatalysis has shown as the most promising advanced oxidation process for the removal of micropollutants due to degradation rate, sustainability, non-toxicity, and low-cost. Synergistic interaction of light irradiation, photocatalysts, and highly reactive species are used to break down pollutants toward inert products. Even though titanium dioxide (TiO2) is the most researched photocatalyst, to overcome shortcomings, various modifications have been made to intensify photocatalytic activity in visible spectra range among which is modification with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Therefore, photocatalytic oxidation and its intensification by photocatalyst’s modification was studied on the example of four micropollutants (diclofenac, DF; imidacloprid, IMI; 1-H benzotriazole, BT; methylene blue, MB) degradation. Compound parabolic collector (CPC) reactor was used as, nowadays, it has been considered the state-of-the-art system due to its usage of both direct and diffuse solar radiation and quantum efficiency. A commercially available TiO2 P25 and nanocomposite of TiO2 and MWCNT were immobilized on a glass fiber mesh by sol-gel method. Full-spectra solar lamps with appropriate UVB and UVA irradiation levels were used in all experiments. Photocatalytic degradation of DF, IMI, BT, and MB by immobilized TiO2 and TiO2/CNT photocatalysts was achieved. Mathematical modelling which included mass transfer and photon absorption was applied and intrinsic reaction rate constants were estimated: kDF=3.56 × 10−10s−1W−0.5m1.5, kIMI=8.90 × 10−11s−1W−0.5m1.5, kBT=1.20 × 10−9s−1W−0.5m1.5, kMB=1.62 × 10−10s−1W−0.5m1.5. Intensification of photocatalysis by TiO2/CNT was observed for DF, IMI, and MB, while that was not the case for BT. The developed model can be effectively applied for different irradiation conditions which makes it extremely versatile and adaptable when predicting the degradation extents throughout the year using sunlight as the energy source at any location.
Application of a TEMPO-Polypyrrole Polymer for NOx-Mediated Oxygen Electroreduction
Authors: Lukyanov Daniil A. , Kalnin Arseniy Y. , Rubicheva Lyubov G. , Potapenkov Vasiliy V. , Bakulina Olga Y. , Levin Oleg V.
Published: November 2022

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is one of the key processes for electrochemical energy storage, such as the cathode process in fuel cells and metal–air batteries. To date, the efficiency of the ORR half-reaction limits the overall performance of these energy storage devices. Traditional platinum-based materials are expensive and cannot provide the desired ORR efficiency. As an alternative, a new catalytic scheme for an ORR was proposed, which consisted of an electrode modified with a TEMPO-containing conductive polymer and a solution redox mediator system based on nitrogen oxides (NOx). NOx is perfect for oxygen reduction in solution, which, however, cannot be efficiently reduced onto a pristine electrode, while TEMPO is inactive in the ORR itself but catalyzes the electrochemical reduction of NO2 on the electrode surface. Together, these catalysts have a synergistic effect, enabling an efficient ORR in an acidic medium. In the present study, the synthesis of a novel TEMPO-containing conductive polymer and its application in the synergistic ORR system with a NOx mediator is described. The proposed mediator system may increase the performance of proton-exchange fuel cells and metal–air batteries.
Ferroptosis—A New Dawn in the Treatment of Organ Ischemia–Reperfusion Injury
Authors: Zhou Linxiang , Han Shangting , Guo Jiayu , Qiu Tao , Zhou Jiangqiao , Shen Lei
Published: November 2022

Ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) is a common pathological phenomenon that occurs in numerous organs and diseases. It generally results from secondary damage caused by the recovery of blood flow and reoxygenation, followed by ischemia of organ tissues, which is often accompanied by severe cellular damage and death. Currently, effective treatments for I/R injury (IRI) are limited. Ferroptosis, a new type of regulated cell death (RCD), is characterized by iron overload and iron-dependent lipid peroxidation. Mounting evidence has indicated a close relationship between ferroptosis and IRI. Ferroptosis plays a significantly detrimental role in the progression of IRI, and targeting ferroptosis may be a promising approach for treatment of IRI. Considering the substantial progress made in the study of ferroptosis in IRI, in this review, we summarize the pathological mechanisms and therapeutic targets of ferroptosis in IRI.
Oxidized Proteins Differentially Affect Maturation and Activation of Human Monocyte-Derived Cells
Authors: Clemen Ramona , Arlt Kevin , Miebach Lea , von Woedtke Thomas , Bekeschus Sander
Published: November 2022

In cancer, antigen-presenting cells (APC), including dendritic cells (DCs), take up and process proteins to mount adaptive antitumor immune responses. This often happens in the context of inflamed cancer, where reactive oxygen species (ROS) are ubiquitous to modify proteins. However, the inflammatory consequences of oxidized protein uptake in DCs are understudied. To this end, we investigated human monocyte-derived cell surface marker expression and cytokine release profiles when exposed to oxidized and native proteins. Seventeen proteins were analyzed, including viral proteins (e.g., CMV and HBV), inflammation-related proteins (e.g., HO1 and HMGB1), matrix proteins (e.g., Vim and Coll), and vastly in the laboratory used proteins (e.g., BSA and Ova). The multifaceted nature of inflammation-associated ROS was mimicked using gas plasma technology, generating reactive species cocktails for protein oxidation. Fourteen oxidized proteins led to elevated surface marker expression levels of CD25, CD40, CD80, CD86, and MHC-II as well as strongly modified release of IL6, IL8, IL10, IL12, IL23, MCP-1, and TNFα compared to their native counterparts. Especially IL8, heme oxygenase 2, and vimentin oxidation gave pronounced effects. Furthermore, protein kinase phospho-array studies in monocyte-derived cells pulsed with native vs. oxidized IL8 and insulin showed enhanced AKT and RSK2 phosphorylation. In summary, our data provide for the first time an overview of the functional consequences of oxidized protein uptake by human monocyte-derived cells and could therefore be a starting point for exploiting such principle in anticancer therapy in the future.
Nanostructured Diamond Composites for Multifunctional Sensing Applications
Authors: Li Eric Y. , Pacheco Elluz , Zhou Andrew F. , Feng Peter X.
Published: November 2022

We report studies of multifunctional, nanostructured diamond composites that were fabricated using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques. Grain sizes from micrometer, to submicron, nano, and ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) were controlled by varying CH4, hydrogen, and argon gas concentrations during the syntheses. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman scattering spectroscopy were used to investigate the morphologies, composites, and crystallinities of the films. Four multifunctional sensor prototypes were designed, fabricated, and tested, based on the four diamond materials of different grain sizes. The responses of the four prototypes to either pollution gas or UV light illumination were systematically investigated at different operating temperatures. Experimental data indicated the obtained UNCD composite from the low-cost simple CVD fabrication technique appeared to have very good sensitivities when exposed to low concentrations of H2 or NH3 gas with a decent response and fast recovery time. Furthermore, highly induced photocurrents from both microdiamond- and UNCD-based prototypes to deep UV illumination were also demonstrated, with responsivities up to 2750 mA/W and 550 mA/W at 250 nm wavelength, respectively. Overall, the fabricated UNCD prototypes displayed a good balance in performance for multifunctional sensor applications in terms of responsivity, stability, and repeatability.
Detection of Carbon Content from Pulverized Coal Using LIBS Coupled with DSC-PLS Method
Authors: Guan Congrong , Wu Tianyu , Chen Jiwen , Li Ming
Published: November 2022

The dust from pulverized coal weakens the acquired signal and increases the analysis difficulty for the quantitative analysis of the carbon content of pulverized coal when using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). Moreover, there is a serious matrix effect and a self-absorption phenomenon. To improve the analysis accuracy, the DSC-PLS (double spectral correction-partial-least-squares) method was proposed to predict the carbon content of pulverized coal. Initially, the LIBS signal was corrected twice using P-operation-assisted adaptive iterative-weighted penalized-least-squares (P-airPLS), plasma temperature compensation, and spectral normalization algorithms. The goodness of fit of the carbon element was improved from nonlinearity to above 0.948. The modified signal was then used to establish DCS-PLS models for predicting unknown samples. In comparison to the conventional PLS model, the DSC-PLS method proposed in this paper significantly improves the ability to predict carbon content. The prediction error of the developed method was dropped from an average of 4.66% to about 0.41%, with the goodness of fit R2 of around 0.991.
Mathematical Modeling of the Solid–Liquid Interface Propagation by the Boundary Integral Method with Nonlinear Liquidus Equation and Atomic Kinetics
Authors: Titova Ekaterina A. , Alexandrov Dmitri V. , Toropova Liubov V.
Published: November 2022

In this paper, we derive the boundary integral equation (BIE), a single integrodifferential equation governing the evolutionary behavior of the interface function, paying special attention to the nonlinear liquidus equation and atomic kinetics. As a result, the BIE is found for a thermodiffusion problem of binary melt crystallization with convection. Analyzing this equation coupled with the selection criterion for a stationary dendritic growth in the form of a parabolic cylinder, we show that nonlinear effects stemming from the liquidus equation and atomic kinetics play a decisive role. Namely, the dendrite tip velocity and diameter, respectively, become greater and lower with the increasing deviation of the liquidus equation from a linear form. In addition, the dendrite tip velocity can substantially change with variations in the power exponent of the atomic kinetics. In general, the theory under consideration describes the evolution of a curvilinear crystallization front, as well as the growth of solid phase perturbations and patterns in undercooled binary melts at local equilibrium conditions (for low and moderate Péclet numbers). In addition, our theory, combined with the unsteady selection criterion, determines the non-stationary growth rate of dendritic crystals and the diameter of their vertices.
Gastroblastoma Treated by Endoscopic Submucosal Excavation with a Novel PTCH1::GLI2 Fusion: A Rare Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Liu Yongru , Wu Huanwen , Wu Xi , Feng Yunlu , Jiang Qingwei , Wang Qiang , Yang Aiming
Published: November 2022

Gastroblastoma is an extremely rare stomach tumor that primarily presents in adolescent and early adulthood, with a biphasic cell morphology of epithelioid and spindle cells. In light of its similarity to other childhood blastomas, it has been named gastroblastoma. Few patients showed a potential of metastasis and recurrence, however, most of the reported cases were alive, with no evidence of the disease after surgical treatment. Commonly, MALAT1-GLI1 fusion has been considered to be the most relevant mutation. Herein, we present a case of an asymptomatic 58-year-old man who happened to find a submucosal gastric mass during a gastroscope and received endoscopic submucosal excavation (ESE). He turned out to have a gastroblastoma with a novel PTCH1::GLI2 fusion confirmed by Sanger sequencing. The patient was discharged two days after ESE without any complication and was recurrence-free during his one-year follow-up. According to the previous literature and our own experience, in cases with characteristic histopathology and immunohistochemistry patterns, a diagnosis of gastroblastoma should be considered even without a MALAT1-GLI1 fusion. Gastroblastoma pursues a favorable clinical outcome and endoscopic therapy could be an effective alternative treatment choice.
Reproductive Ecology and Nesting Site Characteristics of Four-Toed Salamanders (Hemidactylium scutatum) in Natural and Constructed Upland-Embedded Wetlands on the Appalachian Plateau, Kentucky
Authors: King Susan K. , Richter Stephen C.
Published: November 2022

Many forested freshwater wetlands have been altered or destroyed, and wetlands are constructed to offset loss. However, they do not always replace the function of natural wetlands. It is important to understand how features of the habitat differ between types of wetlands and whether constructed wetlands provide an adequate habitat for species adapted to natural wetlands. Our objectives were to measure the characteristics of Four-toed Salamanders’ nesting habitat and determine which factors contribute to the abundance of eggs and nests in natural and constructed upland-embedded wetlands within a ridgetop ecosystem in eastern Kentucky. We located and examined characteristics for 207 nests in twelve wetlands and measured variables at the nest level and at the wetland level. The best predictor of the number of eggs and number of nests was amount of moss at the wetland. These measures of reproductive effort were similar between types of wetlands, but the number of eggs per nest was higher in constructed wetlands and inversely related to amount of moss, highlighting a deficit in nesting habitat. Research of embryonic and larval survival is needed but based on data from other amphibian species in this system, we predict that the survival of Four-toed Salamanders’ larvae is low in constructed wetlands with permanent hydrology. Restoration of constructed wetlands should address the need for moss as nesting substrate and drying of the wetland to reduce the abundance and diversity of predators of larvae.
Distinctive Morphological Patterns of Complicated Coronary Plaques in Acute Coronary Syndromes: Insights from an Optical Coherence Tomography Study
Authors: Onea Horea-Laurentiu , Spinu Mihail , Homorodean Calin , Olinic Maria , Lazar Florin-Leontin , Ober Mihai Claudiu , Stoian Diana , Itu Lucian Mihai , Olinic Dan Mircea
Published: November 2022

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an ideal imaging technique for assessing culprit coronary plaque anatomy. We investigated the morphological features and mechanisms leading to plaque complication in a single-center observational retrospective study on 70 consecutive patients with an established diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who underwent OCT imaging after coronary angiography. Three prominent morphological entities were identified. Type I or intimal discontinuity, which was found to be the most common mechanism leading to ACS and was seen in 35 patients (50%), was associated with thrombus (68.6%; p = 0.001), mostly affected the proximal plaque segment (60%; p = 0.009), and had no distinctive underlying plaque features. Type II, a significant stenosis with vulnerability features (inflammation in 16 patients, 84.2%; thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA) in 10 patients, 52.6%) and a strong association with lipid-rich plaques (94.7%; p = 0.002), was observed in 19 patients (27.1%). Type III, a protrusive calcified nodule, which was found to be the dominant morphological pattern in 16 patients (22.9%), was found in longer plaques (20.8 mm vs. 16.8 mm ID vs. 12.4 mm SS; p = 0.04) and correlated well with TCFA (93.8%; p = 0.02) and inflammation (81.3%). These results emphasize the existence of a wide spectrum of coronary morphological patterns related to ACS.
Partial Verification Bias Correction Using Inverse Probability Bootstrap Sampling for Binary Diagnostic Tests
Authors: Arifin Wan Nor , Yusof Umi Kalsom
Published: November 2022

In medical care, it is important to evaluate any new diagnostic test in the form of diagnostic accuracy studies. These new tests are compared to gold standard tests, where the performance of binary diagnostic tests is usually measured by sensitivity (Sn) and specificity (Sp). However, these accuracy measures are often biased owing to selective verification of the patients, known as partial verification bias (PVB). Inverse probability bootstrap (IPB) sampling is a general method to correct sampling bias in model-based analysis and produces debiased data for analysis. However, its utility in PVB correction has not been investigated before. The objective of this study was to investigate IPB in the context of PVB correction under the missing-at-random assumption for binary diagnostic tests. IPB was adapted for PVB correction, and tested and compared with existing methods using simulated and clinical data sets. The results indicated that IPB is accurate for Sn and Sp estimation as it showed low bias. However, IPB was less precise than existing methods as indicated by the higher standard error (SE). Despite this issue, it is recommended to use IPB when subsequent analysis with full data analytic methods is expected. Further studies must be conducted to reduce the SE.
A Rare Case of Collision Tumours of the Ovary: An Ovarian Serous Cystadenoma Coexisting with Fibrothecoma
Authors: Mongelli Michele , Silvestris Erica , Loizzi Vera , Cormio Gennaro , Cazzato Gerardo , Arezzo Francesca
Published: November 2022

The incidence of epithelial tumours of the ovary ranges from 9–17 per 100,000 and is the highest in high-income countries, with the exception of the Japan. The coexistence of neoplastic Müllerian epithelial and sex cord-stromal elements within a single tumour is extremely rare. We describe the case of a 74-year-old woman with a voluminous left adnexal formation. Pre-operative assessment with ultrasound evaluation made a suspicious diagnosis of benignity of the lesion. Bilateral salpingo-ovariectomy was performed. Intraoperative frozen section analysis results in the diagnosis of fibrothecoma in the context of serous cystadenoma. The diagnosis is confirmed by histological examination. Some authors suggest labelling this phenomenon as collision tumours.
Water Fraction Ratio of the Sacroiliac Joint Subchondral Bone Marrow in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis Predicts the Degree of Disease Activity
Authors: Kim Beum Jin , Lee Young Han , Lee Joohee , Kim Sungjun , Song Ho-Taek
Published: November 2022

Objectives: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory arthritis with characteristic involvement of the spine and sacroiliac joints. MRI may be the only indicator of disease activity or response. This study aimed to use a novel water fraction measurement technique on MRI as a biomarker to predict disease activity in patients with AS. Methods: We enrolled 39 patients (18 men [mean age, 38.6 years; range, 18–59 years] and 21 women [mean age, 39.3 years; range, 23–61 years]) who were clinically diagnosed with AS and underwent MRI, including mDixon sequences. Water fraction values of sacroiliac joint subchondral bone marrow were derived from the mDixon sequences. The Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) was recorded using clinical information and laboratory values from medical records. Multiple linear regression, Firth logistic regression, and intraclass correlation coefficients were used for the statistical analysis. Results: In multiple linear regression, water fraction, subchondral bone marrow edema, subchondral bone erosion, and subchondral bone marrow enhancements were significantly associated with ASDAS with C-reactive protein (ASDAS-CRP). The water fraction parameters showed a good linear correlation with ASDAS-CRP and ASDAS with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ASDAS-ESR) (beta coefficient = 1.98, p < 0.001 and beta coefficient = 1.60, p = 0.003). Firth logistic regression showed that water fraction was a significant predictor of ASDAS-CRP but not ASDAS-ESR. The intraclass correlation coefficient showed excellent repeatability for the three repeated measures of the water fraction. Conclusion: Water fraction parameter could be a good imaging biomarker of disease activity status. The sacroiliac joint evaluated by mDixon MRI may be a promising biomarker of disease progression in patients with spondyloarthritis.
Exploration of Despair Eccentricities Based on Scale Metrics with Feature Sampling Using a Deep Learning Algorithm
Authors: Hasanin Tawfiq , Kshirsagar Pravin R. , Manoharan Hariprasath , Sengar Sandeep Singh , Selvarajan Shitharth , Satapathy Suresh Chandra
Published: November 2022

The majority of people in the modern biosphere struggle with depression as a result of the coronavirus pandemic’s impact, which has adversely impacted mental health without warning. Even though the majority of individuals are still protected, it is crucial to check for post-corona virus symptoms if someone is feeling a little lethargic. In order to identify the post-coronavirus symptoms and attacks that are present in the human body, the recommended approach is included. When a harmful virus spreads inside a human body, the post-diagnosis symptoms are considerably more dangerous, and if they are not recognised at an early stage, the risks will be increased. Additionally, if the post-symptoms are severe and go untreated, it might harm one’s mental health. In order to prevent someone from succumbing to depression, the technology of audio prediction is employed to recognise all the symptoms and potentially dangerous signs. Different choral characters are used to combine machine-learning algorithms to determine each person’s mental state. Design considerations are made for a separate device that detects audio attribute outputs in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the suggested technique; compared to the previous method, the performance metric is substantially better by roughly 67%.
Optical Characterization of Biological Tissues Based on Fluorescence, Absorption, and Scattering Properties
Authors: Hamdy Omnia , Abdel-Salam Zienab , Abdel-Harith Mohamed
Published: November 2022

Optical diagnostics methods are significantly appealing in biological applications since they are non-destructive, safe, and minimally invasive. Laser-induced fluorescence is a promising optical spectrochemical analytical technique widely employed for tissue classification through molecular analysis of the studied samples after excitation with appropriate short-wavelength laser light. On the other hand, diffuse optics techniques are used for tissue monitoring and differentiation based on their absorption and scattering characteristics in the red to the near-infrared spectra. Therefore, it is strongly foreseen to obtain promising results by combining these techniques. In the present work, tissues under different conditions (hydrated/dry skin and native/boiled adipose fat) were distinguished according to their fluorescence emission, absorption, and scattering properties. The selected tissues’ optical absorption and scattering parameters were determined via Kubelka–Munk mathematical model according to the experimental tissue reflectance and transmittance measurements. Such measurements were obtained using an optical configuration of integrating sphere and spectrometer at different laser wavelengths (808, 830, and 980 nm). Moreover, the diffusion equation was solved for the fluence rate at the sample surface using the finite element method. Furthermore, the accuracy of the obtained spectroscopic measurements was evaluated using partial least squares regression statistical analysis with 0.87 and 0.89 R-squared values for skin and adipose fat, respectively.
Prognostic Comparison between Oncotype DX® and a 23-Gene Classifier, RecurIndex®, on the Taiwan Breast Cancer Population
Authors: Chang Chuan-Hsun , Yang Po-Sheng , Hsieh Chia-Ming , Chen Ting-Hao , Cheng Skye Hung-Chun , Yang Cheng-En , Huang Chiun-Sheng
Published: November 2022

The applicability of the Oncotype DX® (Genomic Health, Inc., Redwood City, CA, USA) recurrence score (RS) in Asian populations is unclear. A 23-gene classifier, RecurIndex® (Amwise Diagnostics, Pte. Ltd., Singapore), has been developed based on the gene expression profiles of early-stage breast cancer patients of ethnic Han Chinese population in Taiwan. This study aimed to compare the performance of the Oncotype DX® RS with the RecurIndex® recurrence index (RI) for predicting relapse-free survival. Therefore, we calculated both the RI and RS for 110 early stage breast cancer patients, with the cut-off value for high-risk recurrence set at 26 and 29 for the RS and the RI, respectively. With relapse-free interval (RFI) as the primary endpoint, the concordance between RS and RI was 78.2% (Kappa value = 0.297). For a median follow-up interval of 27 months, there was a statistically significant difference in RFI between the high- and low-risk groups defined by the RI (p = 0.04) but not between risk groups defined by the RS (p = 0.66). In conclusion, whereas there was high concordance between the RecurIndex® RI and the Oncotype DX RS, the current data showed that the RI had a better discrimination for recurrence risk than the RS. Subsequent studies with larger sample sizes will be needed to confirm the superiority of the RI over the RS in the Asian population.
Lateral Flow Immunoassays for SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Ang Geik Yong , Chan Kok Gan , Yean Chan Yean , Yu Choo Yee
Published: November 2022

The continued circulation of SARS-CoV-2 virus in different parts of the world opens up the possibility for more virulent variants to evolve even as the coronavirus disease 2019 transitions from pandemic to endemic. Highly transmissible and virulent variants may seed new disruptive epidemic waves that can easily put the healthcare system under tremendous pressure. Despite various nucleic acid-based diagnostic tests that are now commercially available, the wide applications of these tests are largely hampered by specialized equipment requirements that may not be readily available, accessible and affordable in less developed countries or in low resource settings. Hence, the availability of lateral flow immunoassays (LFIs), which can serve as a diagnostic tool by detecting SARS-CoV-2 antigen or as a serological tool by measuring host immune response, is highly appealing. LFI is rapid, low cost, equipment-free, scalable for mass production and ideal for point-of-care settings. In this review, we first summarize the principle and assay format of these LFIs with emphasis on those that were granted emergency use authorization by the US Food and Drug Administration followed by discussion on the specimen type, marker selection and assay performance. We conclude with an overview of challenges and future perspective of LFI applications.
Artificial Intelligence-Driven Ensemble Model for Predicting Mortality Due to COVID-19 in East Africa
Authors: Abegaz Kedir Hussein , Etikan İlker
Published: November 2022

East Africa was not exempt from the devastating effects of COVID-19, which led to the nearly complete cessation of social and economic activities worldwide. The objective of this study was to predict mortality due to COVID-19 using an artificial intelligence-driven ensemble model in East Africa. The dataset, which spans two years, was divided into training and verification datasets. To predict the mortality, three steps were conducted, which included a sensitivity analysis, the modelling of four single AI-driven models, and development of four ensemble models. Four dominant input variables were selected to conduct the single models. Hence, the coefficients of determination of ANFIS, FFNN, SVM, and MLR were 0.9273, 0.8586, 0.8490, and 0.7956, respectively. The non-linear ensemble approaches performed better than the linear approaches, and the ANFIS ensemble was the best-performing ensemble approach that boosted the predicting performance of the single AI-driven models. This fact revealed the promising capability of ensemble models for predicting the daily mortality due to COVID-19 in other parts of the globe.
Trajectory Optimization of a Subsonic Unpowered Gliding Vehicle Using Control Vector Parameterization
Authors: Mahmood Ahmad , Rehman Fazal ur , Bhatti Aamer Iqbal
Published: November 2022

In many aero gliding vehicles, achieving the maximum gliding range is a challenging task. A frequent example is the breakdown of an engine during flight or the use of unpowered stand-off weapons. When an unpowered stand-off weapon begins gliding at a given height, it eventually strikes the ground after some distance, and height is considered a stopping constraint in this general condition. To avoid the time-scaling approach for the free time optimal problem, the maximum stoppable time with a stopping constraint is addressed to attain the maximum glide range. This problem can be chosen as an optimal gliding range problem which can be solved by direct or indirect methods. In this paper, the inverted Y-tail joint stand-off weapon is selected as the subsonic unpowered gliding vehicle (SUGV). After being released from dispersion points, the SUGV has to face fluctuating gliding flight because of flight phase transition that causes gliding range reduction. To achieve a damped and steady gliding flight while maximizing the gliding range, we propose a non-uniform control vector parameterization (CVP) approach that uses the notion of exponential spacing for the time vector. When compared with the maximum step input and conventional uniform CVP approach, simulations of the proposed non-uniform CVP approach demonstrate that the SUGV exhibits superior damping and steady gliding flight, with a maximum gliding range of 121.278 km and a maximum horizontal range of 120.856 km.