bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Properties of Materials and Structures of Fluted PVC Panels for the Transmission of Airborne Sound
Authors: Kopania Joanna Maria , Zakrzewicz Wojciech , Kubiak Przemysław , Mrowicki Adam , Głogowski Michał , Gralewski Jacek , Bogusławski Grzegorz , Wójciak Kamil , Gaj Patryk
Published: June 2022

The primary goal of this research was to study transmission loss and absorption of fluted PVC panels using experimental and theoretical methods. During these studies, the link between panel size, thickness, transmission loss, and absorption was considered. We measured the transmission loss and absorption in reverberation rooms according to ISO standards. Hansen’s theoretical model was also used to predict the transmission loss. Agreement between TL prediction according to Hansen’s model and measured results for some of the studied panels were observed. However, the analytical prediction, according to Hansen’s model, for heavy fluted PVC panels must be used with caution. The absorption properties of the studied fluted PVC panels are also connected with their resonance, and, in addition, the resonance frequency is associated with the space between the ribs and wave propagation in the panel’s plane.
Relationship between Induced Polarization Relaxation Time and Hydraulic Characteristics of Water-Bearing Sand
Authors: Ma Zhao , Nie Lichao , Deng Zhaoyang , Xu Xiaobin , Yin Xin , Shen Junfeng , Wang Kai , Li Ningbo
Published: June 2022

The induced polarization method has become a popular method for evaluating formation permeability characteristics in recent years because of its sensitivity to water and water-bearing porous media. In particular, the induced polarization relaxation time can reflect the macroscopic characteristics of the porous media of rock and soil. Therefore, in order to study the relationship between relaxation time and permeability, eight quartz sand samples of different grain sizes were used to simulate water-bearing sand layers under different geological conditions, and the induced polarization experiment and the Darcy seepage experiment were carried out on the same sand sample. The experimental results show that relaxation time and permeability are closely correlated with the grain size of quartz sand samples. According to the experimental data, the power function equation is a better fit for describing the relationship between permeability and relaxation time. It is worth noting that the equations obtained are only empirical equations for quartz sand samples, and they may not be applicable to all geological conditions.
Intelligent Computer-Aided Model for Efficient Diagnosis of Digital Breast Tomosynthesis 3D Imaging Using Deep Learning
Authors: El-Shazli Alaa M. Adel , Youssef Sherin M. , Soliman Abdel Hamid
Published: June 2022

Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is a highly promising 3D imaging modality for breast diagnosis. Tissue overlapping is a challenge with traditional 2D mammograms; however, since digital breast tomosynthesis can obtain three-dimensional images, tissue overlapping is reduced, making it easier for radiologists to detect abnormalities and resulting in improved and more accurate diagnosis. In this study, a new computer-aided multi-class diagnosis system is proposed that integrates DBT augmentation and colour feature map with a modified deep learning architecture (Mod_AlexNet). To the proposed modified deep learning architecture (Mod AlexNet), an optimization layer with multiple high performing optimizers is incorporated so that it can be evaluated and optimised using various optimization techniques. Two experimental scenarios are applied, the first scenario proposed a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) model that integrated DBT augmentation, image enhancement techniques and colour feature mapping with six deep learning models for feature extraction, including ResNet-18, AlexNet, GoogleNet, MobileNetV2, VGG-16 and DenseNet-201, to efficiently classify DBT slices. The second scenario compared the performance of the newly proposed Mod_AlexNet architecture and traditional AlexNet, using several optimization techniques and different evaluation performance metrics were computed. The optimization techniques included adaptive moment estimation (Adam), root mean squared propagation (RMSProp), and stochastic gradient descent with momentum (SGDM), for different batch sizes, including 32, 64 and 512. Experiments have been conducted on a large benchmark dataset of breast tomography scans. The performance of the first scenario was compared in terms of accuracy, precision, sensitivity, specificity, runtime, and f1-score. While in the second scenario, performance was compared in terms of training accuracy, training loss, and test accuracy. In the first scenario, results demonstrated that AlexNet reported improvement rates of 1.69%, 5.13%, 6.13%, 4.79% and 1.6%, compared to ResNet-18, MobileNetV2, GoogleNet, DenseNet-201 and VGG16, respectively. Experimental analysis with different optimization techniques and batch sizes demonstrated that the proposed Mod_AlexNet architecture outperformed AlexNet in terms of test accuracy with improvement rates of 3.23%, 1.79% and 1.34% when compared using SGDM, Adam, and RMSProp optimizers, respectively.
Failure Mechanism Analysis and Optimization Analysis of Tunnel Joint Waterstop Considering Bonding and Extrusion
Authors: Wu Yimin , Wu Haiping , Chu Dinghai , Feng Sheng , Zhang Junjian , Wu Haoran
Published: June 2022

In waterproofing mountain tunnels, the tunnel joint is the weak link. To explore the waterproof failure mechanism of the tunnel joint waterstop belt and to propose an optimization method for the waterstop belt, this paper combines tests and numerical simulations, summarizes the waterproofing mechanism of the waterstop belt, establishes a finite element model of the waterstop belt considering bonding and extrusion, and studies the waterproofing ability and mechanical properties of the waterstop. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) The waterproofing capacity of the water stop belt depends on its surface contact pressure and bonding force. (2) Waterstop deformation will partially destroy the bonding between the waterstop and concrete, reducing the reliability of the waterproofing mechanism. (3) When the deformation of the waterstop belt reaches a certain degree, its stress value is too large to meet the requirements of its service life. (4) The design can be optimized from two aspects: the bond between the waterstop and concrete, and the size of the waterstop.
Study of Rock Crack Extension under Liquid Nitrogen Low-Temperature Fracturing
Authors: Bao Chunyan , Zhou Meng , Cai Yuexiang
Published: June 2022

Shale gas is a promising new energy source stored in shale. This research aims to study the laws of rock crack initiation and propagation under the low-temperature fracturing of liquid nitrogen, explore the influencing factors of the shale reservoir fracturing effect, and identify the method that achieves the best fracturing effect and obtains the highest economic benefits. Herein, a visualized physical experiment of the liquid nitrogen effect is carried out, and the fracture process of a numerical model under cold shock is simulated to analyze the effect of homogeneity on shale crack propagation. The results show that two different crack development modes could be observed in the field test. The first one was the horizontal plane radial crack caused by longitudinal thermal shrinkage, and the other one was the vertical tensile crack caused by circumferential shrinkage. A certain interval length was frequently found between the horizontal cracks. The crack propagation of the specimens with different homogenization degrees was basically distributed in the direction perpendicular to the liquid nitrogen contact surface. When the homogenization degrees were m = 2 and 5, the crack surface was rough and the microfracture was disordered and dotted around the crack tip. When m ≥ 10, the dotted damage around the crack tip did not appear, and the crack propagation was close to the results obtained from using the homogeneous materials. Finally, this work simulates the fracture process of a circular hole plane model under cold shock, analyzes the influences of heat transfer coefficient, in situ stress and other parameters on shale temperature, minimum principal stress distribution, and crack propagation, and discusses the optimal method to improve the heat transfer coefficient. The results show that increasing the heat transfer coefficient can increase the tensile stress value and influence the range of the contact boundary, making the rock more prone to cracking and resulting in greater crack development and a better crack initiation effect. The lateral stress coefficient affects the propagation direction of the cracks, and the propagation depths of low-temperature cracks were found to be deeper in the direction of larger principal stress.
Conversion of Waste Biomass into Activated Carbon and Evaluation of Environmental Consequences Using Life Cycle Assessment
Authors: Amin Muhammad , Shah Hamad Hussain , Iqbal Amjad , Farooqi Zia Ur Rahman , Krawczuk Marek , Zia Adeel
Published: June 2022

In this article, activated carbon was produced from Lantana camara and olive trees by H3PO4 chemical activation. The prepared activated carbons were analyzed by characterizations such as scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. H3PO4 is used as an activator agent to create an abundant pore structure. According to EDX analysis, the crystalline structure destroys and increases the carbon content of the olive tree and Lantana camara by 77.51 and 76.16%, respectively. SEM images reveal a porous structure formed as a result of H3PO4 activation. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area of the olive tree and Lantana camara activated carbon was 611.21 m2/g and 167.47 m2/g, respectively. The TGA analysis of both activated carbons shows their thermal degradation starts at 230 °C but fully degrades at temperatures above 450 °C. To quantify the potential environmental implications related to the production process of the activated carbon (AC) from olive trees, the life cycle assessment (LCA) environmental methodology was employed. For most of the tested indicators, chemical activation using H3PO4 showed the greatest ecological impacts: the ozone layer depletion potential (42.27%), the acidification potential (55.31%), human toxicity (57.00%), freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity (85.01%), terrestrial ecotoxicity (86.17%), and eutrophication (92.20%). The global warming potential (5.210 kg CO2 eq), which was evenly weighted between the phases, was shown to be one of the most significant impacts. The total energy demand of the olive tree’s AC producing process was 70.521 MJ per Kg.
Fine-Grained Climate Classification for the Qaidam Basin
Authors: Feng Yuning , Du Shihong , Fraedrich Klaus , Zhang Xiuyuan
Published: June 2022

The Qaidam Basin is a sensitive climate transition zone revealing a wide spectrum of local climates and their variability. In order to obtain an objective and quantitative expression of local climate regions as well as avoid the challenge to pre-define the number of heterogeneous local climates, the ISODATA cluster method is employed to achieve the fine-grained climate divisions of the Qaidam Basin, which can heuristically alter the number of clusters based on the input of monthly temperature and precipitation data. The fine-grained climate classification extends the traditional Köppen climate classification and represents the complex climate transformation processes in terms of fine-grained climate clusters. The following results are observed: (i) The Qaidam Basin is divided into an arid desert basin area and the surrounding alpine mountainous areas. The climate distribution is affected by both the altitude and the dryness ratio, which, employing the Budyko framework, largely characterizes the local energy–water fluxes at the surface and the related vegetation regimes (biomes). The fine-grained climate classification successfully captures their causal relationships and represents them well by the local climates: the climatic spatial differentiation in the mountainous areas is highly consistent with the topography and reveals an elevation-dependent circular distribution from the edges to the center of the basin; the climate heterogeneity within the basin presents a west-to-east meridional distribution due to the combined effect of the mid-latitude westerlies and the Indian monsoon. (ii) The climate gradients are spatially different over the Qaidam Basin. The surrounding mountainous areas have a large climate gradient compared to the inner basin; the southern mountain edge is governed by a more severe climate change than the north-eastern one; and the climate gradient is larger in the eastern than in the western basin. (iii) The lake regions within the basin show an obvious lake effect and reveal a local lake climate. Spatially, a common structure emerges with a dryer-climate zone or watershed embedding a wetter lake-affected area, which appears to migrate eastward becoming stepwise wetter from the very dry center to the wet eastern boundary of the Qaidam basin. This provides a topographically induced insight of the wet climate expansion of initially arid climates and is crucial to improve the Qaidam Basin’s ecological environment. Finally, although this work mainly focuses on the local-scale climates and their variability in the Qaidam Basin, the data-driven cluster methodology for climate refinement is transferable to regional- even global-scale climate studies, which offers broad application prospects.
Environmental Pollution Analysis and Impact Study—A Case Study for the Salton Sea in California
Authors: Gao Jerry , Liu Jia , Xu Rui , Pandey Samiksha , Vankayala Siva Venkata Sai Kusuma Sindhoora , Yu Dian
Published: June 2022

A natural experiment conducted on the shrinking Salton Sea, a saline lake in California, showed that each one foot drop in lake elevation resulted in a 2.6% average increase in PM2.5 concentrations. The shrinking has caused the asthma rate continues to increase among children, with one in five children being sent to the emergency department, which is related to asthma. In this paper, several data-driven machine learning (ML) models are developed for forecasting air quality and dust emission to study, evaluate and predict the impacts on human health due to the shrinkage of the sea, such as the Salton Sea. The paper presents an improved long short-term memory (LSTM) model to predict the hourly air quality (O3 and CO) based on air pollutants and weather data in the previous 5 h. According to our experiment results, the model generates a very good R2 score of 0.924 and 0.835 for O3 and CO, respectively. In addition, the paper proposes an ensemble model based on random forest (RF) and gradient boosting (GBoost) algorithms for forecasting hourly PM2.5 and PM10 using the air quality and weather data in the previous 5 h. Furthermore, the paper shares our research results for PM2.5 and PM10 prediction based on the proposed ensemble ML models using satellite remote sensing data. Daily PM2.5 and PM10 concentration maps in 2018 are created to display the regional air pollution density and severity. Finally, the paper reports Artificial Intelligence (AI) based research findings of measuring air pollution impact on asthma prevalence rate of local residents in the Salton Sea region. A stacked ensemble model based on support vector regression (SVR), elastic net regression (ENR), RF and GBoost is developed for asthma prediction with a good R2 score of 0.978.
Characteristics of Ocean Waves in the Southern Ocean and Seasonal Prediction of Difficulty for the Vessels Crossing the Westerlies
Authors: Zhang Shouwen , Jiang Hua , Yin Yichen
Published: June 2022

In this study, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts reanalysis v5 (ERA5) wave height reanalysis data and sea-level pressure data from two seasonal prediction systems were used to study the wave characteristics of the Southern Ocean and the seasonal prediction of difficulty for the vessels crossing the westerlies. The results show that significant wave height, extreme wave height, and extreme wave processes were all much stronger in austral winter than in austral summer, making it more difficult for vessels to cross the westerlies in winter. Furthermore, the difficulty of crossing the westerlies has increased over the last 40 years, except in areas east of South America. We found that the monthly frequency of crossing the westerlies between 100° E and 75° W could be accurately estimated point by point using the monthly mean sea-level pressure difference between 30° S and 65° S. With a 1-month lead, the multi-model forecasts gave a fairly accurate forecast of such sea-level pressure difference signal between 150° E to 60° W for target months from May to December. Based on these assessments, we could estimate the difficulty of crossing the westerlies in some specific months in advance using a seasonal prediction system. We also found that the seasonal prediction system produced inaccurate predictions of sea-level pressure at high latitudes, which is the main barrier to further accurately estimating the difficulty of crossing the westerlies. These findings may provide support for predicting difficulty for the vessels crossing the westerlies with a 1-month lead and can provide planning for the route and the allocation of material reserves.
k-Path-Connectivity of Completely Balanced Tripartite Graphs
Authors: Wang Pi , Li Shasha , Gao Xiaoxue
Published: June 2022

For a graph G=(V,E) and a set S⊆V(G) of a size at least 2, a path in G is said to be an S-path if it connects all vertices of S. Two S-paths P1 and P2 are said to be internally disjoint if E(P1)∩E(P2)=∅ and V(P1)∩V(P2)=S; that is, they share no vertices and edges apart from S. Let πG(S) denote the maximum number of internally disjoint S-paths in G. The k-path-connectivity πk(G) of G is then defined as the minimum πG(S), where S ranges over all k-subsets of V(G). In this paper, we study the k-path-connectivity of the complete balanced tripartite graph Kn,n,n and obtain πkKn,n,n=2nk−1 for 3≤k≤n.
Solvability of Conformable Type Frictionless Contact Problem via Hemivariational Inequalities
Authors: Hao Jianwei , Wang Jinrong , Han Jiangfeng
Published: June 2022

In this paper, we study a class of conformable frictionless contact problems with the surface traction driven by the conformable impulsive differential equation. The existence of a mild solution for conformable impulsive hemivariational inequality is obtained by the Rothe method, subjectivity of multivalued pseudomonotone operators and the property of the conformable derivative. Notice that we imply some new fractional viscoelastic constitutive laws.
On a Class of Positive Definite Operators and Their Application in Fractional Calculus
Authors: Aleroev Temirkhan
Published: June 2022

This paper is devoted to the spectral analysis of one class of integral operators, associated with the boundary value problems for differential equations of fractional order. Approximation matrices are also investigated. In particular, the positive definiteness of the studied operators is shown, which makes it possible to select areas in the complex plane where there are no eigenvalues of these operators.
Gender Differences and Relationship of 2D:4D-Ratio, Mental Toughness and Dark Triad Traits among Active Young Adults
Authors: Zamani Sani Seyed Hojjat , Sadeghi-Bahmani Dena , Fathirezaie Zahra , Aghdasi Mohammad Taghi , Abbaspour Kosar , Badicu Georgian , Brand Serge
Published: June 2022

There is consistent evidence that prenatal exposures to higher testosterone and lower estrogen concentrations during the first trimester of embryonal and fetal development are associated with a lower 2D:4D-ratio, which is to say: The index finger (2D) is shorter, compared to the ring finger (4D). Compared to non-active, athletes show lower 2D:4D ratios. However, athletes also report specific personality traits such as mental toughness, assertiveness, and competitive behavior. Here, we tested if 2D:4D-ratios were related to specific personality traits. We further investigated possible gender differences. A total of 460 active young adults (mean age: 24.81 years; 67% females) completed a series of self-rating questionnaires covering sociodemographic information and traits of the dark triad and mental toughness. Participants also provided a scan of their right palm hand to measure and calculate 2D:4D-ratios. t-tests, Pearson’s correlations, and multiple regression analysis were performed to analyze data. Compared to male participants, female participants had a higher 2D:4D-ratio. Female and male participants did not differ as regards dark triad traits and mental toughness traits. Irrespective of gender, and based on correlational computations, 2D:4D-ratios were unrelated to the dark triad (DT) and mental toughness (MT) scores. Higher DT scores were modestly associated with higher MT scores among females, but not among males. Lower 2D:4D-ratios were associated with higher constancy scores and the male gender. The constancy and male gender appeared to be associated with lower 2D:4D-ratios.
Epigenetic and Transcriptional Signaling in Ewing Sarcoma—Disease Etiology and Therapeutic Opportunities
Authors: Li Mingli , Chen Chun-Wei
Published: June 2022

Ewing sarcoma (EwS), a type of bone and soft tissue tumor, is mainly driven by the expression of the fusion protein EWSR1-FLI1. Upon binding to chromatin, EWSR1-FLI1 reprograms the epigenetic state, alters gene expression, and thus leads to tumorigenesis. Considerable studies have investigated the epigenomic and transcriptomic profiling of EwS. Nevertheless, a comprehensive view of therapeutic targets is still lacking. This review discusses the epigenetic and transcriptional alterations reported in EwS. Specifically, we discuss the binding characteristics of EWSR1-FLI1 on chromatin, the mechanisms of EWSR1-FLI1 in reprograming epigenome, and EWSR1-FLI1-induced transcriptional alterations. Moreover, we summarize the chemical, RNAi, and CRISPR-cas9 high throughput screens conducted in EwS with the goal of assisting in the development of novel therapies to treat this aggressive disease.
Laboratory Predictors of Prognosis in Cardiogenic Shock Complicating Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Muzafarova Tamilla , Motovska Zuzana
Published: June 2022

Cardiogenic shock is a state of reduced cardiac output leading to hypotension, pulmonary congestion, and hypoperfusion of tissues and vital organs. Despite the advances in intensive care over the last years, the morbidity and mortality of patients remain high. The available studies of patients with cardiogenic shock suggest a connection between clinical variables, the level of biomarkers, the results of imaging investigations, strategies of management and the outcome of this group of patients. The management of patients with cardiogenic shock initially complicating acute myocardial infarction is challenging, and the number of studies in this area is growing fast. The purpose of this review is to summarize the currently available evidence on cardiogenic shock initially complicating acute myocardial infarction with particular attention to predictors of prognosis, focusing on laboratory variables (established and new), and to discuss the practical implementation. Currently available scoring systems developed during the past few decades predict the clinical outcome of this group of patients using some of the established biomarkers among other variables. With the new laboratory biomarkers that have shown their predictive value in cardiogenic shock outcomes, a new design of scoring systems would be of interest. Identifying high-risk patients offers the opportunity for early decision-making.
A Novel Prototype Biosensor Array Electrode System for Detecting the Bacterial Pathogen Salmonella typhimurium
Authors: Ramasamy Palaniappan , Dakshinamoorthy Gajalakshmi , Jayashree Shanmugam , Prabhu Dhamodharan , Rajamanikandan Sundararaj , Velusamy Palaniyandi , Dayanithi Govindan , Hanna Robert E. B.
Published: June 2022

Salmonellosis caused by Salmonella sp. has long been reported all over the world. Despite the availability of various diagnostic methods, easy and effective detection systems are still required. This report describes a dialysis membrane electrode interface disc with immobilized specific antibodies to capture antigenic Salmonella cells. The interaction of a specific Salmonella antigen with a mouse anti-Salmonella monoclonal antibody complexed to rabbit anti-mouse secondary antibody conjugated with HRP and the substrate o-aminophenol resulted in a response signal output current measured using two electrode systems (cadmium reference electrode and glassy carbon working electrode) and an agilent HP34401A 6.5 digital multimeter without a potentiostat or applied potential input. A maximum response signal output current was recorded for various concentrations of Salmonella viz., 3, 30, 300, 3000, 30,000 and 300,000 cells. The biosensor has a detection limit of three cells, which is very sensitive when compared with other detection sensors. Little non-specific response was observed using Streptococcus, Vibrio, and Pseudomonas sp. The maximum response signal output current for a dialysis membrane electrode interface disc was greater than that for gelatin, collagen, and agarose. The device and technique have a range of biological applications. This novel detection system has great potential for future development and application in surveillance for microbial pathogens.
Effects of Sound Interventions on the Permeability of the Blood–Brain Barrier and Meningeal Lymphatic Clearance
Authors: Sachdeva Sean , Persaud Sushmita , Patel Milani , Popard Peyton , Colverson Aaron , Doré Sylvain
Published: June 2022

The meningeal lymphatic, or glymphatic, system is receiving increasing attention from the scientific community. Recent work includes noninvasive techniques to demonstrate relationships between blood–brain barrier (BBB) activity and the glymphatic system in the human central nervous system. One potential technique is the use of music/sound to enhance BBB permeability regarding the movement of small molecules in and out of the brain. However, there is minimal knowledge regarding the methodical investigation(s) of the uses of music/sound on BBB permeability and glymphatic clearance and the outcomes of these investigation(s). This review contains evidence discussing relationships between music/sound, BBB permeability, and meningeal lymphatic clearance. An overview of the anatomy and physiology of the system is presented. We discuss the uses of music/sound to modulate brain and body functions, highlighting music’s effects on mood and autonomic, cognitive, and neuronal function. We also propose implications for follow-up work. The results showed that music and sound interventions do, in fact, contribute to the opening of the BBB and subsequently increase the function of the meningeal lymphatic system. Evidence also suggests that music/sound has the ability to reduce the collateral effects of brain injuries. Unfortunately, music/sound is rarely used in the clinical setting as a medical intervention. Still, recent research shows the potential positive impacts that music/sound could have on various organ systems.
Key Adoption Factors for Collaborative Technologies and Barriers to Information Management in Construction Supply Chains: A System Dynamics Approach
Authors: Amin Fawad , Khan Khurram Iqbal Ahmad , Ullah Fahim , Alqurashi Muwaffaq , Alsulami Badr T.
Published: June 2022

Construction processes are complex and dynamic. Like its other components, the construction supply chain (CSC) involves multiple stakeholders requiring varying levels of information sharing. In addition, the intensity and diversity of information in CSCs require dexterous management. Studies reveal that information complexity can be reduced using collaborative technologies (CTs). However, the barriers to information management (IM) hinder the CTs’ adoption process and cause complexity in CSCs. This research identifies barriers to IM and factors affecting the adoption of CTs in developing countries. In order to understand and address complexity, the system dynamics (SD) approach is adopted in this study. The aim is to investigate if SD can reduce information complexity using CTs. Causal loop diagrams (CLDs) were developed to understand the relationship between the IM barriers and CT adoption factors. The SD model, when simulated, highlighted three main components, i.e., complexity, top management support, and trust and cooperation, among others, as factors affecting the adoption of CTs. Addressing these factors will reduce information complexity and result in better IM in construction projects.
Impacts of Building Energy Consumption Information on Energy-Saving Intention of College Students
Authors: Xing Menglin , Luo Xi , Liu Xiaojun , Ma Zhenchuan , Li Na
Published: June 2022

As college students bear little energy cost of public buildings on campus, information intervention is more feasible than economic intervention to augment the energy-saving intention of college students. College students are sensitive to environmental information; thus, building energy consumption information, which reflects the energy consumption levels of the environment where students live, may be effective to promote the energy-saving intention of college students. However, the changeable cognitive structure of college students makes it difficult to predict the cognitive results of building energy consumption information. Based on social cognitive theory and theory of planned behavior, this paper reveals the impacts of building energy consumption information on energy-saving intentions of college students from the perspective of perceived value and personal norms. The conclusions are: (1) The impacts are positive and indirect; (2) the impacts are realized through the path “perceived benefit—perceived value—intention” and “perceived benefit & risk—personal norm—intention”; (3) the perceived value and personal norm independently affect energy-saving intention; and (4) the effect of perceived benefits is the most obvious. Based on the above results, we put forward a series of policy suggestions, with the aim to enhance the positive effect of building energy consumption information on college students.
Prediction of Adrenocortical Carcinoma Relapse and Prognosis with a Set of Novel Multigene Panels
Authors: Lin Xiaozeng , Gu Yan , Su Yingying , Dong Ying , Major Pierre , Kapoor Anil , Tang Damu
Published: June 2022

Effective assessment of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) prognosis is critical in patient management. We report four novel and robust prognostic multigene panels. Sig27var25, SigIQvar8, SigCmbnvar5, and SigCmbn_B predict ACC relapse at area under the curve (AUC) of 0.89, 0.79, 0.78, and 0.80, respectively, and fatality at AUC of 0.91, 0.88, 0.85, and 0.87, respectively. Among their 33 component genes, 31 are novel. They could be differentially expressed in ACCs from normal tissues, tumors with different severity (stages and lymph node metastasis), ACCs with TP53 mutations, and tumors with differentially expressed immune checkpoints (CTLA4, PD1, TGFBR1, and others). All panels correlate with reductions of ACC-associated CD8+ and/or NK cells. Furthermore, we provide the first evidence for the association of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with ACC relapse (p = 2 × 10−6) and prognosis (p = 2 × 10−8). Sig27var25, SigIQvar8, SigCmbnvar5, and SigCmbn_B correlate with MSC (spearman r ≥ 0.53, p ≤ 1.38 × 10−5). Sig27var25 and SigIQvar8 were derived from a prostate cancer (PC) and clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) multigene signature, respectively; SigCmbnvar5 and SigCmbn_B are combinations of both panels, revealing close relationships of ACC with PC and ccRCC. The origin of these four panels from PC and ccRCC favors their prognostic potential towards ACC.
New Therapeutic Strategies for Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Ishii Hiroto , Yano Shingo
Published: June 2022

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a genetically heterogeneous hematological malignancy. Chromosomal and genetic analyses are important for the diagnosis and prognosis of AML. Some patients experience relapse or have refractory disease, despite conventional cytotoxic chemotherapies and allogeneic transplantation, and a variety of new agents and treatment strategies have emerged. After over 20 years during which no new drugs became available for the treatment of AML, the CD33-targeting antibody–drug conjugate gemtuzumab ozogamicin was developed. This is currently used in combination with standard chemotherapy or as a single agent. CPX-351, a liposomal formulation containing daunorubicin and cytarabine, has become one of the standard treatments for secondary AML in the elderly. FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) inhibitors and isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 (IDH 1/2) inhibitors are mainly used for AML patients with actionable mutations. In addition to hypomethylating agents and venetoclax, a B-cell lymphoma-2 inhibitor is used in frail patients with newly diagnosed AML. Recently, tumor protein p53 inhibitors, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors, and NEDD8 E1-activating enzyme inhibitors have been gaining attention, and a suitable strategy for the use of these drugs is required. Antibody drugs targeting cell-surface markers and immunotherapies, such as antibody–drug conjugates and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, have also been developed for AML.
SCAMP3 Regulates EGFR and Promotes Proliferation and Migration of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells through the Modulation of AKT, ERK, and STAT3 Signaling Pathways
Authors: Acevedo-Díaz Ariana , Morales-Cabán Beatriz M. , Zayas-Santiago Astrid , Martínez-Montemayor Michelle M. , Suárez-Arroyo Ivette J.
Published: June 2022

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive, metastatic, and lethal breast cancer subtype. To improve the survival of TNBC patients, it is essential to explore new signaling pathways for the further development of effective drugs. This study aims to investigate the role of the secretory carrier membrane protein 3 (SCAMP3) in TNBC and its association with the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Through an internalization assay, we demonstrated that SCAMP3 colocalizes and redistributes EGFR from the cytoplasm to the perinucleus. Furthermore, SCAMP3 knockout decreased proliferation, colony and tumorsphere formation, cell migration, and invasion of TNBC cells. Immunoblots and degradation assays showed that SCAMP3 regulates EGFR through its degradation. In addition, SCAMP3 modulates AKT, ERK, and STAT3 signaling pathways. TNBC xenograft models showed that SCAMP3 depletion delayed tumor cell proliferation at the beginning of tumor development and modulated the expression of genes from the PDGF pathway. Additionally, analysis of TCGA data revealed elevated SCAMP3 expression in breast cancer tumors. Finally, patients with TNBC with high expression of SCAMP3 showed decreased RFS and DMFS. Our findings indicate that SCAMP3 could contribute to TNBC development through the regulation of multiple pathways and has the potential to be a target for breast cancer therapy.
Immunoprotecting Effects of Exercise Program against Ovarian Cancer: A Single-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Lee Jong-Kyun , Park Sihwa , Jee Yong-Seok
Published: June 2022

Exercise is known to help the immune function of cancer survivors after cancer cell removal, but there is little information about the effect of exercise on ovarian cancer survivors. We conducted this study to investigate the effects of exercise training on the physical fitness and innate immunity of ovarian cancer survivors (OCS). Twenty-seven OCS between forty-two and sixty-one years of age volunteered for this study. The participants were divided into a control group (COG, n = 15) and an exercise group (EXG, n = 12). The mean (SD) age was 51.07 (5.67) years, and the mean post-operation period was 45.96 (5.88) months. EXG participated in regular exercise training 6 days a week for 12 weeks. Body weight, fat mass, and body mass index of EXE were significantly decreased compared with those of COG. The muscle mass in EXE was increased compared to that of COG. Physical fitness factors showed positive changes in EXG compared to COG. We found that exercise training enhanced lymphocyte and neutrophil counts of leucocytes and total natural killer (NK) and natural killer T (NKT) cell counts of lymphocytes through improved body composition and physical fitness after 12 weeks. Moreover, we found that improved innate immune cells through the exercise program were achieved through an increase in NKG2D+NK receptors and a decrease in KIR2DL3+NK receptors in OCS.
Preparation, Characterization, and Catalytic Properties of Pd-Graphene Quantum Dot Catalysts
Authors: Kim Jisoo , Lim Jeongah , Kim Ji Dang , Choi Myong Yong , Lee Sunwoo , Choi Hyun Chul
Published: June 2022

In this study, Pd-graphene quantum dot (Pd-GQD) catalysts were prepared by depositing Pd nanoparticles onto functionalized GQD surfaces, and their morphology and elemental composition were characterized using transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The as-prepared Pd-GQD was subsequently employed as a catalyst for the Heck and decarboxylative cross-coupling reactions and was found to exhibit higher catalytic activity than other reference systems. The expanded substrate scope of various substituted aryl iodides further proved that the GQD is an effective support for preparing new heterogeneous catalysts with improved catalytic performances.
Predicting CRISPR/Cas9 Repair Outcomes by Attention-Based Deep Learning Framework
Authors: Liu Xiuqin , Wang Shuya , Ai Dongmei
Published: June 2022

As a simple and programmable nuclease-based genome editing tool, the CRISPR/Cas9 system has been widely used in target-gene repair and gene-expression regulation. The DNA mutation generated by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated double-strand breaks determines its biological and phenotypic effects. Experiments have demonstrated that CRISPR/Cas9-generated cellular-repair outcomes depend on local sequence features. Therefore, the repair outcomes after DNA break can be predicted by sequences near the cleavage sites. However, existing prediction methods rely on manually constructed features or insufficiently detailed prediction labels. They cannot satisfy clinical-level-prediction accuracy, which limit the performance of these models to existing knowledge about CRISPR/Cas9 editing. We predict 557 repair labels of DNA, covering the vast majority of Cas9-generated mutational outcomes, and build a deep learning model called Apindel, to predict CRISPR/Cas9 editing outcomes. Apindel, automatically, trains the sequence features of DNA with the GloVe model, introduces location information through Positional Encoding (PE), and embeds the trained-word vector matrixes into a deep learning model, containing BiLSTM and the Attention mechanism. Apindel has better performance and more detailed prediction categories than the most advanced DNA-mutation-predicting models. It, also, reveals that nucleotides at different positions relative to the cleavage sites have different influences on CRISPR/Cas9 editing outcomes.
Optogenetic Methods to Investigate Brain Alterations in Preclinical Models
Authors: Brondi Marco , Bruzzone Matteo , Lodovichi Claudia , dal Maschio Marco
Published: June 2022

Investigating the neuronal dynamics supporting brain functions and understanding how the alterations in these mechanisms result in pathological conditions represents a fundamental challenge. Preclinical research on model organisms allows for a multiscale and multiparametric analysis in vivo of the neuronal mechanisms and holds the potential for better linking the symptoms of a neurological disorder to the underlying cellular and circuit alterations, eventually leading to the identification of therapeutic/rescue strategies. In recent years, brain research in model organisms has taken advantage, along with other techniques, of the development and continuous refinement of methods that use light and optical approaches to reconstruct the activity of brain circuits at the cellular and system levels, and to probe the impact of the different neuronal components in the observed dynamics. These tools, combining low-invasiveness of optical approaches with the power of genetic engineering, are currently revolutionizing the way, the scale and the perspective of investigating brain diseases. The aim of this review is to describe how brain functions can be investigated with optical approaches currently available and to illustrate how these techniques have been adopted to study pathological alterations of brain physiology.
Ulcerative Colitis in Response to Fecal Microbiota Transplantation via Modulation of Gut Microbiota and Th17/Treg Cell Balance
Authors: Huang Chunlan , Mei Qixiang , Lou Lihong , Huang Zehua , Fu Yang , Fan Junjie , Wang Jingjing , Yin Nuoming , Zheng Yi , Lu Yingying , Zeng Yue
Published: June 2022

Background: Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) may contribute to disease remission in ulcerative colitis (UC). We studied the microbiota change and its regulation on T cells after FMT. Methods: Patients with mild to moderately active UC were included to receive FMT. The intestinal histopathological changes and barrier function were evaluated. The fecal samples of donors and patients were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene-based microbiota analysis, and the colon Th17 and Treg cells were assessed. Results: Fifteen patients completed the 8-week-follow-up. A total of 10 patients (66.7%) were in the responders (RE) group and five in the non-responders (NR) group. The Nancy histological index and fecal calprotectin decreased (p < 0.001, p = 0.06, respectively) and Occludin and Claudin1 increased in the RE group. The abundance of Faecalibaterium increased significantly by 2.3-fold in the RE group at week 8 (p = 0.043), but it was suppressed in the NR group. Fecal calprotectin (r = −0.382, p = 0.003) and Nancy index (r = −0.497, p = 0.006) were correlated inversely with the abundance of Faecalibacterium, respectively. In the RE group the relative mRNA expression of RORγt decreased and Foxp3 increased. Significantly decreased CD4+ RORγt+ Th17 and increased CD4+ Foxp3+ Treg were also observed in the RE group. The relative abundance of Faecalibacterium correlated with CD4+ RORγt+ Th17 (r = −0.430, p = 0.018) and CD4+ Foxp3+ Treg (r = 0.571, p = 0.001). Conclusions: The long-term Faecalibaterium colonization following FMT plays a crucial role in UC remission by alleviating intestinal inflammation. This anti-inflammatory effect of Faecalibacterium may be achieved by regulating the imbalance of Th17/Treg levels in UC.
Acute Rhinosinusitis in Children with Inhalant Allergies
Authors: Pietraś Aleksandra , Mielnik-Niedzielska Grażyna
Published: June 2022

Rhinosinusitis is an essential medical problem in pediatric populations. Due to a lack of studies considering allergy impact on pediatric rhinosinusitis, it seems legitimate to investigate this subject. The aim of this paper was to assess the influence of inhalant allergy on acute rhinosinusitis in children. The study involved 100 pediatric patients aged between 3 and 17 years who were admitted to the Chair and Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Phoniatrics and Audiology of the Medical University of Lublin due to acute rhinosinusitis. The control group consisted of 50 children without allergy, and the study group consisted of 50 children suffering from inhalant allergy. The methodology employed in this study involved medical history and laryngological examination, as well as laboratory and radiological testing. Dust mite allergy was the most common allergy among patients in the study group. Patients with allergies presented at the hospital later than patients without allergy, and their hospitalization lasted longer due to more severe sinus disease, higher inflammatory parameters, multiple sinus involvement, more frequent fever or rhinosinusitis complications, especially orbital occurrence. Most children in the control group required only pharmacological treatment. Inhalant allergy, especially dust mite allergy, contributes to more severe acute rhinosinusitis in children.
Atypical Anorexia in Youth: Cautiously Bridging the Treatment Gap
Authors: Freizinger Melissa , Recto Michelle , Jhe Grace , Lin Jessica
Published: June 2022

Atypical anorexia nervosa (AAN) is a restrictive eating disorder (ED) that describes individuals who may be normal weighted or overweight; many have a premorbid history of obesity. Pediatric care providers are trained to identify and provide best practices for youth with pediatric obesity; however, most pediatric care providers are not trained to assess and treat restrictive EDs which typically present in youth aged 10 and 14 years. Although individuals with AAN may appear to be within a ‘healthy weight’, many experience malnutrition, psychological symptoms, and severe physiological complications after weight loss. These individuals are presenting to pediatric services at an increasing rate and exhibit acute medical instability along with severe ED psychopathology. One complicating factor is youth with AAN may take longer to be identified by pediatric providers and may be reluctant to engage in treatment. Delayed treatment for AAN, along with all EDs often results in poorer treatment outcomes. A greater understanding of this complex illness is essential to inform medical decisions, such as labs, vitals, hospital admissions, and psychological therapy. Currently, there are no standardized guidelines for treating AAN in youths. This review is designed to present evidence-based treatment to inform and guide best treatment practices.
Mortality Analysis of Patients with COVID-19 in Mexico Based on Risk Factors Applying Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: Becerra-Sánchez Aldonso , Rodarte-Rodríguez Armando , Escalante-García Nivia I. , Olvera-González José E. , De la Rosa-Vargas José I. , Zepeda-Valles Gustavo , Velásquez-Martínez Emmanuel de J.
Published: June 2022

The new pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus has generated an overload in the quality of medical care in clinical centers around the world. Causes that originate this fact include lack of medical personnel, infrastructure, medicines, among others. The rapid and exponential increase in the number of patients infected by COVID-19 has required an efficient and speedy prediction of possible infections and their consequences with the purpose of reducing the health care quality overload. Therefore, intelligent models are developed and employed to support medical personnel, allowing them to give a more effective diagnosis about the health status of patients infected by COVID-19. This paper aims to propose an alternative algorithmic analysis for predicting the health status of patients infected with COVID-19 in Mexico. Different prediction models such as KNN, logistic regression, random forests, ANN and majority vote were evaluated and compared. The models use risk factors as variables to predict the mortality of patients from COVID-19. The most successful scheme is the proposed ANN-based model, which obtained an accuracy of 90% and an F1 score of 89.64%. Data analysis reveals that pneumonia, advanced age and intubation requirement are the risk factors with the greatest influence on death caused by virus in Mexico.