bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Relation between Resistin (−420C/G) Single Nucleotide Variant, Resistin Serum Concentration, Carbohydrate, and Lipid Parameters and Fried Food Taste Preference in Patients with Hypertriglyceridemia
Authors: Miller-Kasprzak Ewa , Musialik Katarzyna , Kręgielska-Narożna Matylda , Szulińska Monika , Bogdański Paweł
Published: December 2022

Background: Resistin is a proinflammatory adipokine involved in metabolic disorders. Its interplay with hypertriglyceridemia remains to be elucidated. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between resistin (−420C/G) single nucleotide variant (SNV) and metabolic parameters and preference for fried food consumption in hypertriglyceridemia. Methods: The study enrolled 179 hypertriglyceridemic (HTG) and 182 normotriglyceridemic (NTG) patients. Anthropometric measurements, serum resistin, insulin and fasting glucose concentration, a homeostatic model assessment—insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), triglycerides (TG), cholesterol concentration, and fried food taste preference (FP) or other cooking methods preference (OP) were assessed in the study. Genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Results: HTG and NTG groups did not differ significantly in serum resistin concentration; HTG individuals demonstrated significantly increased serum levels of TG, glucose, total cholesterol (TCH), and HOMA-IR and decreased HDL cholesterol. Resistin, insulin, glucose, HOMA-IR, and cholesterol fractions were similar among particular resistin genotypes in HTG, NTG, FP, or OP groups. TG and TCH concentrations differ significantly among CG and CC genotypes in the FP group. Considering the FP group, GG and CG genotypes appeared more frequently in hyperlipidemic (OR 2.6 95% CI; 1.16–5.82; p = 0.01; significant after Bonferroni correction) than in NTG patients. Multivariable logistic regression models showed that the G allele and CG genotype of SNV (−420C/G), adjusted for selected confounders such as fried food preference, increased the odds of hypertriglyceridemia about twofold. Conclusions: Allele G and CG genotype of resistin SNV (−420C/G) are linked with the preference for fried food taste in hypertriglyceridemic patients.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Enhances the Blood–Brain Barrier Function in Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Kaddoumi Amal , Denney Thomas S. , Deshpande Gopikrishna , Robinson Jennifer L. , Beyers Ronald J. , Redden David T. , Praticò Domenico , Kyriakides Tassos C. , Lu Bonian , Kirby Anna N. , Beck Darren T. , Merner Nancy D.
Published: December 2022

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are characterized by blood–brain barrier (BBB) breakdown leading to abnormal BBB permeability ahead of brain atrophy or dementia. Previous findings in AD mouse models have reported the beneficial effect of extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) against AD, which improved BBB and memory functions and reduced brain amyloid-β (Aβ) and related pathology. This work aimed to translate these preclinical findings to humans in individuals with MCI. We examined the effect of daily consumption of refined olive oil (ROO) and EVOO for 6 months in MCI subjects on BBB permeability (assessed by contrast-enhanced MRI), and brain function (assessed using functional-MRI) as the primary outcomes. Cognitive function and AD blood biomarkers were also assessed as the secondary outcomes. Twenty-six participants with MCI were randomized with 25 participants completed the study. EVOO significantly improved clinical dementia rating (CDR) and behavioral scores. EVOO also reduced BBB permeability and enhanced functional connectivity. While ROO consumption did not alter BBB permeability or brain connectivity, it improved CDR scores and increased functional brain activation to a memory task in cortical regions involved in perception and cognition. Moreover, EVOO and ROO significantly reduced blood Aβ42/Aβ40 and p-tau/t-tau ratios, suggesting that both altered the processing and clearance of Aβ. In conclusion, EVOO and ROO improved CDR and behavioral scores; only EVOO enhanced brain connectivity and reduced BBB permeability, suggesting EVOO biophenols contributed to such an effect. This proof-of-concept study justifies further clinical trials to assess olive oil’s protective effects against AD and its potential role in preventing MCI conversion to AD and related dementias.
Assessing Clinical Potential of Old Antibiotics against Severe Infections by Multi-Drug-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria Using In Silico Modelling
Authors: Paranos Paschalis , Vourli Sophia , Pournaras Spyros , Meletiadis Joseph
Published: December 2022

In the light of increasing antimicrobial resistance among gram-negative bacteria and the lack of new more potent antimicrobial agents, new strategies have been explored. Old antibiotics, such as colistin, temocillin, fosfomycin, mecillinam, nitrofurantoin, minocycline, and chloramphenicol, have attracted the attention since they often exhibit in vitro activity against multi-drug-resistant (MDR) gram-negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii. The current review provides a summary of the in vitro activity, pharmacokinetics and PK/PD characteristics of old antibiotics. In silico modelling was then performed using Monte Carlo simulation in order to combine all preclinical data with human pharmacokinetics and determine the probability of target (1-log kill in thigh/lung infection animal models) attainment (PTA) of different dosing regimens. The potential of clinical efficacy of a drug against severe infections by MDR gram-negative bacteria was considered when PTA was >95% at the epidemiological cutoff values of corresponding species. In vitro potent activity against MDR gram-negative pathogens has been shown for colistin, polymyxin B, temocillin (against E. coli and K. pneumoniae), fosfomycin (against E. coli), mecillinam (against E. coli), minocycline (against E. coli, K. pneumoniae, A. baumannii), and chloramphenicol (against E. coli) with ECOFF or MIC90 ≤ 16 mg/L. When preclinical PK/PD targets were combined with human pharmacokinetics, Monte Carlo analysis showed that among the old antibiotics analyzed, there is clinical potential for polymyxin B against E. coli, K. pneumoniae, and A. baumannii; for temocillin against K. pneumoniae and E. coli; for fosfomycin against E. coli and K. pneumoniae; and for mecillinam against E. coli. Clinical studies are needed to verify the potential of those antibiotics to effectively treat infections by multi-drug resistant gram-negative bacteria.
Validation of a Dendritic Cell and CD4+ T Cell Restimulation Assay Contributing to the Immunogenicity Risk Evaluation of Biotherapeutics
Authors: Siegel Michel , Steiner Guido , Franssen Linnea C. , Carratu Francesca , Herron James , Hartman Katharina , Looney Cary M. , Ducret Axel , Bray-French Katharine , Rohr Olivier , Hickling Timothy P. , Smith Noel , Marban-Doran Céline
Published: December 2022

Immunogenicity, defined as the ability to provoke an immune response, can be either wanted (i.e., vaccines) or unwanted. The latter refers to an immune response to protein or peptide therapeutics, characterized by the production of anti-drug antibodies, which may affect the efficacy and/or the safety profiles of these drugs. Consequently, evaluation of the risk of immunogenicity early in the development of biotherapeutics is of critical importance for defining their efficacy and safety profiles. Here, we describe and validate a fit-for-purpose FluoroSpot-based in vitro assay for the evaluation of drug-specific T cell responses. A panel of 24 biotherapeutics with a wide range of clinical anti-drug antibody response rates were tested in this assay. We demonstrated that using suitable cutoffs and donor cohort sizes, this assay could identify most of the compounds with high clinical immunogenicity rates (71% and 78% for sensitivity and specificity, respectively) while we characterized the main sources of assay variability. Overall, these data indicate that the dendritic cell and CD4+ T cell restimulation assay published herein could be a valuable tool to assess the risk of drug-specific T cell responses and contribute to the selection of clinical candidates in early development.
Mitigating Cardiotoxicity of Dendrimers: Angiotensin-(1-7) via Its Mas Receptor Ameliorates PAMAM-Induced Cardiac Dysfunction in the Isolated Mammalian Heart
Authors: Akhtar Saghir , Babiker Fawzi , Akhtar Usman A. , Benter Ibrahim F.
Published: December 2022

Aim: The influence of the physiochemical properties of dendrimer nanoparticles on cardiac contractility and hemodynamics are not known. Herein, we investigated (a) the effect of polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer generation (G7, G6, G5, G4 and G3) and surface chemistry (-NH2, -COOH and -OH) on cardiac function in mammalian hearts following ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury, and (b) determined if any PAMAM-induced cardiotoxicity could be mitigated by Angiotensin-(1-7) (Ang-(1-7), a cardioprotective agent. Methods: Hearts isolated from male Wistar rats underwent regional I/R and/or treatment with different PAMAM dendrimers, Ang-(1-7) or its MAS receptors antagonists. Thirty minutes of regional ischemia through ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery was followed by 30 min of reperfusion. All treatments were initiated 5 min prior to reperfusion and maintained during the first 10 min of reperfusion. Cardiac function parameters for left ventricular contractility, hemodynamics and vascular dynamics data were acquired digitally, whereas cardiac enzymes and infarct size were used as measures of cardiac injury. Results: Treatment of isolated hearts with increasing doses of G7 PAMAM dendrimer progressively exacerbated recovery of cardiac contractility and hemodynamic parameters post-I/R injury. Impairment of cardiac function was progressively less on decreasing dendrimer generation with G3 exhibiting little or no cardiotoxicity. Cationic PAMAMs (-NH2) were more toxic than anionic (-COOH), with neutral PAMAMs (-OH) exhibiting the least cardiotoxicity. Cationic G7 PAMAM-induced cardiac dysfunction was significantly reversed by Ang-(1-7) administration. These cardioprotective effects of Ang-(1-7) were significantly revoked by administration of the MAS receptor antagonists, A779 and D-Pro7-Ang-(1-7). Conclusions: PAMAM dendrimers can impair the recovery of hearts from I/R injury in a dose-, dendrimer-generation-(size) and surface-charge dependent manner. Importantly, PAMAM-induced cardiotoxicity could be mitigated by Ang-(1-7) acting through its MAS receptor. Thus, this study highlights the activation of Ang-(1-7)/Mas receptor axis as a novel strategy to overcome dendrimer-induced cardiotoxicity.
Anticancer Applications of Essential Oils Formulated into Lipid-Based Delivery Nanosystems
Authors: Jampilek Josef , Kralova Katarina
Published: December 2022

The use of natural compounds is becoming increasingly popular among patients, and there is a renewed interest among scientists in nature-based bioactive agents. Traditionally, herbal drugs can be taken directly in the form of teas/decoctions/infusions or as standardized extracts. However, the disadvantages of natural compounds, especially essential oils, are their instability, limited bioavailability, volatility, and often irritant/allergenic potential. However, these active substances can be stabilized by encapsulation and administered in the form of nanoparticles. This brief overview summarizes the latest results of the application of nanoemulsions, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, and nanostructured lipid carriers used as drug delivery systems of herbal essential oils or used directly for their individual secondary metabolites applicable in cancer therapy. Although the discussed bioactive agents are not typical compounds used as anticancer agents, after inclusion into the aforesaid formulations improving their stability and bioavailability and/or therapeutic profile, they indicated anti-tumor activity and became interesting agents with cancer treatment potential. In addition, co-encapsulation of essential oils with synthetic anticancer drugs into nanoformulations with the aim to achieve synergistic effect in chemotherapy is discussed.
Effect of the Donor/Acceptor Size on the Rate of Photo-Induced Electron Transfer
Authors: Tkachenko Nikolai V.
Published: December 2022

The photo-induced electron transfer has been under intensive investigation for a few decades already, and a good understanding of the reaction was developed based on thorough study of the molecular donor–acceptor (DA) system. The recent shift to hybrid DA systems opens the question of transferring the knowledge to analyze and design these new materials. One of the apparent differences is the size increase of the donor or acceptor entities. The electronic wave functions of larger entities occupy a larger volume, but since these are still one-electron wave functions, their amplitudes are lower. A simple analysis proposed here demonstrates that this leads to roughly inverse third power dependence of the electron transfer rate constant on the donor or acceptor size, kET∝R−3. This dependence can be observed upon switching from molecular to quantum dot donor in DA systems with a fullerene acceptor.
Preparation and Curing Mechanism of Modified Corn Straw by 3-Glycidyl Ether Oxypropyl Trimethoxysilane/Epoxy Resin Composites
Authors: Lou Chunhua , Jiang Siyu , Zhou Yongli , Gu Xiaohua , Zhang Yong , Kong Xianzhi
Published: December 2022

A modified corn straw (CS)/epoxy resin (EP) composite was prepared using bisphenol A EP (i.e., E-51) as matrix, 2-methylimidazole as curing agent, and CS modified by 3-glycidyl ether oxypropyl trimethoxysilane (KHCS) as filler. Its chemical structure was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The dynamic thermodynamic properties, mechanical properties, flame retardant property, and fracture morphology were studied using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), a universal testing machine, a micro combustion calorimeter, and a scanning electron microscope (SEM), respectively. The effects of different contents of KHCS on various properties were discussed. The experimental result showed that the CS was bonded toKH560 by a covalent bond. The impact strength, tensile strength, and flexural strength of the composites were all improved compared with those of pure EP. When the content of KHCS was 15 wt%, the maximum impact strength of the composites was 3.31 kJ/m2, which was 1.43 times that of the pure EP. The p HRR and THR of MCSEC-20 were 512.44 W/g and 25.03 kJ/g, respectively, which were 40.71% and 27.76% lower than those of pure EP, when the content of KHCS was 20 wt%. Moreover, the mechanism of the curing composites was investigated.
Calcium Phosphates–Chitosan Composite Layers Obtained by Combining Radio-Frequency Magnetron Sputtering and Matrix-Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation Techniques
Authors: Zarif Maria Elena , Yehia-Alexe Sasa Alexandra , Bita Bogdan , Negut Irina , Locovei Claudiu , Groza Andreea
Published: December 2022

In this work, we report the synthesis of calcium phosphate–chitosan composite layers. Calcium phosphate layers were deposited on titanium substrates by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering technique by varying the substrate temperature from room temperature (25 °C) up to 100 and 300 °C. Further, chitosan was deposited by matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation technique on the calcium phosphate layers. The temperature at the substrate during the deposition process of calcium phosphate layers plays an important role in the embedding of chitosan, as scanning electron microscopy analysis showed. The degree of chitosan incorporation into the calcium phosphate layers significantly influence the physico-chemical properties and the adherence strength of the resulted layers to the substrates. For example, the decreases of Ca/P ratio at the addition of chitosan suggests that a calcium deficient hydroxyapatite structure is formed when the CaP layers are generated on Ti substrates kept at room temperature during the deposition process. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis of the samples suggest that the PO43−/CO32− substitution is possible. The X-ray diffraction spectra indicated that the crystalline structure of the calcium phosphate layers obtained at the 300 °C substrate temperature is disturbed by the addition of chitosan. The adherence strength of the composite layers to the titanium substrates is diminished after the chitosan deposition. However, no complete exfoliation of the layers was observed.
Liquid Oil Trapped inside PVA Electrospun Microcapsules
Authors: Mínguez-García David , Breve Noel , Capablanca Lucía , Bonet-Aracil Marilés , Díaz-García Pablo , Gisbert-Payá Jaime
Published: December 2022

Electrospinning makes it possible to obtain solid fibers, in addition to core-shell fibers, using coextrusion. However, an exhaustive control of parameters allows the core-shell fibers from emulsion electrospinning to be obtained. The solvent in the outer surface tends to evaporate and the polymer density increases, moving the emulsion drops towards the center, which in turn promotes coalescence, thus creating the core. The aim of this work was to avoid coalescence and obtain a net of nanofibers entrapping oil microcapsules. We obtained an emulsion oil in water (O/W), with polyvinyl alcohol (W) and two essential oils (O), sage and thyme. An electrospinning process was used to place the microcapsules of oil inside a net of nanofibers. The electrospun veil was characterized by organoleptic testing, SEM microscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, DSC thermal analysis, and pressure tests. Organoleptic testing, FTIR spectroscopy, and DSC thermal analysis demonstrated the presence of the oil, which was retained in the spheres observed by SEM microscopy, while pressure tests revealed that the oil remained in a liquid state. Furthermore, we demonstrated a strong relationship between the emulsion size and the final microcapsules created, which are slightly larger due to the shell formation. The size of the emulsion determines whether the spheres will be independent or embedded in the nanofibers. Furthermore, the nanofiber diameter was considerably reduced compared to the nanofibers without the oil.
Study of the Possibilities of Improving Maintenance of Technological Equipment Subject to Wear
Authors: Florea Vlad Alexandru , Ionică Andreea Cristina , Florea Adrian , Itu Răzvan-Bogdan , Popescu-Stelea Mihai
Published: December 2022

The rapid development of science and technology, and the restructuring of the mining extraction industry, bring about profound changes in the structure and complexity of technological equipment used in mining. In this paper, the Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) method has been applied to analyze the components of the KSW-460NE shearer machine, which fails quite frequently. The cutter drums do not match from a constructive point of view, and the concrete operation conditions, alongside the picks (being in direct contact with coal and hard inclusions) and guides are submitted to intense abrasion wear, showing a great number of failures. The data collected following the machine’s exploitation allowed parameter determination characterizing the reliability of the components mentioned, the manner of failure, and the effects. Using calculation methods, it has been possible to facilitate the interpretation of the result in view of establishing measures required to improve maintenance of the dominant components of the machine, determining replacement intervals, in accordance with an imposed reliability and maintainability. The results of the study assist in the choice of suitable hardening materials for the reconditioning of cutter drums and guides that are necessary for practical trials, by which their operating times, and replacement intervals, respectively, might be additionally improved.
Anaerobic Digestion of the Residue (Combination of Wastewater and Solid Waste) from a New Olive-Oil Manufacturing Process Based on an Olive Cold-Pressing System: Kinetic Approach and Process Performance
Authors: Fernández-Rodríguez Mª José , Cubero-Cardoso Juan , de la Lama-Calvente David , Fernández-Prior África , Rodríguez-Gutiérrez Guillermo , Borja Rafael
Published: December 2022

This research evaluates the anaerobic digestion (AD) process of the residue generated in a new olive-oil manufacturing process for cold-pressed olive, a residue consisting of a mixture of the wastewater and solid waste obtained from this process. Additionally, in order to assess the possible influence of the level of ripening of the olives on the performance of anaerobic processing, olives of the Picual variety were collected at two stages, i.e., green olives and olives in veraison. The AD processes of the residues obtained from the cold-pressing process and the process without pressure (control) were comparatively assessed by means of biochemical methane potential (BMP) assays conducted at mesophilic temperature (35 ± 1 °C). Maximum values for methane yield (390 ± 1 NL CH4/kg VSadded) and biodegradability (84.5%) were obtained from the cold-pressed green olive residues. For the rest of the wastes studied, biodegradability also reached high values, ranging from 79.1 to 79.6%. The logistic model adequately fit the experimental data and allowed for the assessment of the anaerobic biodegradation of these wastes and for obtaining the kinetic parameters for each case studied. The theoretical values for ultimate methane production predicted from this model showed less than a 1% deviation from the experimental values. A decrease was detected for both types of olives tested in the rate of maximum methane production, Rm, during the cold-pressing process, from 44.3 ± 0.1 to 30.1 ± 1.3 L CH4/(kg VS·d) (green olives) and from 43.9 ± 1.5 to 38.7 ± 1.6 L CH4/(kg VS·d) (olives in veraison). Finally, the highest energy output result was detected in the waste from cold-pressed green olives (15.7 kJ/g VSremoved), which coincided with its high methane yield.
A Study on the Possibility of Religious Governance of New Religions in Korea: Focusing on the Ecological Worldview of Donghak and Won Buddhism
Authors: Kim Jongman , Kim Andrew Eungi
Published: December 2022

The most serious threats to humankind today are environmental and ecological problems. The global warming in particular is generally perceived as a serious threat to the survival of humanity and this sense of urgency has given us a chance to consider our place in the ecosystem and question our anthropocentrism. Various faiths acknowledge human obligations to protect the environment and preserve biodiversity. In the Korean context, while the eco-friendly worldviews of Buddhism are well-known, very little is known about other Korean religions’ views on the environment. This paper examines whether representative new religions of Korea, namely Donghak and Won Buddhism, can contribute as “religious mechanisms” in alleviating ecological problems. The paper particularly focuses on the former’s doctrine of samgyeong or “the Threefold Respect” and the latter’s philosophy of saeun or “the Fourfold Grace,” examining their relevance for religious governance. The paper argues that these two doctrines are permeated with an ecological view implying the need for all living things, including humans, animals and plants as well as the natural environment, to coexist. The paper also argues that these two religions, complete with guidelines for actions or practices, provide a path for building the possibility of religious governance through religious awakening of believers, mutual respect and mutual trust, and mutual communication and reflective cooperation.
Contrarian Profits in Thailand Sustainability Investment-Listed versus in Stock Exchange of Thailand-Listed Companies
Authors: Sinlapates Parichat , Chancharat Surachai
Published: December 2022

In contrarian trading, investors buy and sell loser stocks (lowest average historical prices) and winner stocks (highest average historical prices), respectively. This study examines whether (a) Thailand Sustainability Investment-listed companies outperform Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET)-listed companies (from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2019) in contrarian profits, (b) the five-factor model outperforms their 1993 three-factor model in explaining contrarian profits, and (c) risk drives the earnings of contrarians. Companies were divided into portfolios of winners and losers based on the average of the daily historical prices held in various eras. The SET-listed companies perform better in generating profits. The root mean squared error and mean absolute error—measurements of model accuracy—report that the error from the three-factor model is smaller than the one from the five-factor model. Thus, the three-factor model is applied to estimate the risk-adjusted return. Zero contrarian profits after risk adjustment confirms that they are risk-driven.
Efficient Lightweight Multimodel Deep Fusion Based on ECG for Arrhythmia Classification
Authors: Hammad Mohamed , Meshoul Souham , Dziwiński Piotr , Pławiak Paweł , Elgendy Ibrahim A.
Published: December 2022

An arrhythmia happens when the electrical signals that organize the heartbeat do not work accurately. Most cases of arrhythmias may increase the risk of stroke or cardiac arrest. As a result, early detection of arrhythmia reduces fatality rates. This research aims to provide a lightweight multimodel based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) that can transfer knowledge from many lightweight deep learning models and decant it into one model to aid in the diagnosis of arrhythmia by using electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. Thus, we gained a multimodel able to classify arrhythmia from ECG signals. Our system’s effectiveness is examined by using a publicly accessible database and a comparison to the current methodologies for arrhythmia classification. The results we achieved by using our multimodel are better than those obtained by using a single model and better than most of the previous detection methods. It is worth mentioning that this model produced accurate classification results on small collection of data. Experts in this field can use this model as a guide to help them make decisions and save time.
Discriminating between Absorption and Scattering Effects in Complex Turbid Media by Coupling Polarized Light Spectroscopy with the Mueller Matrix Concept
Authors: Ducanchez Arnaud , Ryckewaert Maxime , Heran Daphne , Bendoula Ryad
Published: December 2022

The separation of the combined effects of absorption and scattering in complex media is a major issue for better characterization and prediction of media properties. In this study, an approach coupling polarized light spectroscopy and the Mueller matrix concept were evaluated to address this issue. A set of 50 turbid liquid optical phantoms with different levels of scattering and absorption properties were made and measured at various orientations of polarizers and analyzers to obtain the 16 elements of the complete Mueller matrix in the VIS–NIR region. Partial least square (PLS) was performed to build calibration models from diffuse reflectance spectra in order to evaluate the potential of polarization spectroscopy through the elements of the Mueller matrix to predict physical and chemical parameters and hence, to discriminate scattering and absorption effects, respectively. In particular, it was demonstrated that absorption and scattering effects can be distinguished in the Rayleigh regime with linear and circular polarization from the M22 and M44 elements of the Mueller matrix, correspondingly.
A Novel Method for Interferometric Phase Estimation in Dual-Channel Cancellation
Authors: Huang Long , Liu Aifang , Huang Zuzhen , Xu Hui , Han Dong
Published: December 2022

Multichannel SAR systems have grown rapidly over the past decade due to their powerful high-resolution and wide-swath (HRWS) capabilities. Because spatially separated channels also have the potential to suppress jamming, dual-channel cancellation is a general method that is effective regardless of the type of jamming signal. In this paper, the principle of dual-channel cancellation (DCC) is introduced, and several practical problems using DCC are also discussed. Moreover, this paper emphasizes interferometric phase estimation, which is the key to DCC. If the jamming-to-signal ratio (JSR) is high, the interferometric phase can be estimated accurately from the interferometry of two channel signals, but estimation becomes rather difficult when the JSR decreases. To solve the problem of interferometric phase estimation under a low JSR, a novel interferometric phase estimation method using cosine similarity is proposed in this paper. L-band airborne dual-channel SAR is performed to investigate the applicability of the method. The results not only prove that cosine similarity is an effective method for interferometric phase estimation, but also demonstrate the potential of DCC in the SAR anti-jamming processing.
Two-Dimensional Non-Carbon Materials-Based Electrochemical Printed Sensors: An Updated Review
Authors: Falina Shaili , Anuar Khairu , Shafiee Saiful Arifin , Juan Joon Ching , Manaf Asrulnizam Abd , Kawarada Hiroshi , Syamsul Mohd
Published: December 2022

Recently, there has been increasing interest in electrochemical printed sensors for a wide range of applications such as biomedical, pharmaceutical, food safety, and environmental fields. A major challenge is to obtain selective, sensitive, and reliable sensing platforms that can meet the stringent performance requirements of these application areas. Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials advances have accelerated the performance of electrochemical sensors towards more practical approaches. This review discusses the recent development of electrochemical printed sensors, with emphasis on the integration of non-carbon 2D materials as sensing platforms. A brief introduction to printed electrochemical sensors and electrochemical technique analysis are presented in the first section of this review. Subsequently, sensor surface functionalization and modification techniques including drop-casting, electrodeposition, and printing of functional ink are discussed. In the next section, we review recent insights into novel fabrication methodologies, electrochemical techniques, and sensors’ performances of the most used transition metal dichalcogenides materials (such as MoS2, MoSe2, and WS2), MXenes, and hexagonal boron-nitride (hBN). Finally, the challenges that are faced by electrochemical printed sensors are highlighted in the conclusion. This review is not only useful to provide insights for researchers that are currently working in the related area, but also instructive to the ones new to this field.
Proportional Fair Trajectory Design and Resource Allocation for UAV-Assisted SWIPT System
Authors: Heo Kanghyun , Lee Kisong
Published: December 2022

In this study, we investigate the proportional fair trajectory design and resource allocation for an unmanned-aerial-vehicle (UAV)-assisted simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) system, where multiple ground nodes (GNs) receive information and harvest energy from the signal transmitted by the UAV using a power-splitting (PS) policy. With this system, we aim to maximize the sum of the logarithmic average spectral efficiency (SE) of the GNs while guaranteeing the average harvested energy requirement to improve the average SE and user fairness simultaneously. To deal with the nonconvexity of the optimization problem, we adopt the quadratic transform and first-order Taylor expansion, proposing an iterative algorithm to find the optimal trajectory and transmit the power of the UAV and the PS ratio of the GNs. Through simulations, we confirm that the proposed scheme achieves a higher average SE compared with the conventional baseline schemes and ensures a level of user fairness similar to that of the state-of-the-art baseline scheme.
A Self-Calibrating Localization Solution for Sport Applications with UWB Technology
Authors: Piavanini Marco , Barbieri Luca , Brambilla Mattia , Cerutti Mattia , Ercoli Simone , Agili Andrea , Nicoli Monica
Published: December 2022

This study addressed the problem of localization in an ultrawide-band (UWB) network, where the positions of both the access points and the tags needed to be estimated. We considered a fully wireless UWB localization system, comprising both software and hardware, featuring easy plug-and-play usability for the consumer, primarily targeting sport and leisure applications. Anchor self-localization was addressed by two-way ranging, also embedding a Gauss–Newton algorithm for the estimation and compensation of antenna delays, and a modified isolation forest algorithm working with low-dimensional set of measurements for outlier identification and removal. This approach avoids time-consuming calibration procedures, and it enables accurate tag localization by the multilateration of time difference of arrival measurements. For the assessment of performance and the comparison of different algorithms, we considered an experimental campaign with data gathered by a proprietary UWB localization system.
Implementation and Evaluation of a School-Based Educational Program Targeting Healthy Diet and Exercise (DIEX) for Greek High School Students
Authors: Angeli Maria , Hassandra Mary , Krommidas Charalampos , Kolovelonis Athanasios , Bouglas Vassilios , Theodorakis Yannis
Published: December 2022

The present study examined the effectiveness of a school-based health education program promoting healthy diet and exercise, named DIEX, implemented on adolescents. The program is based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and is supported by life skills training. The recipients of the program were high school students (n = 367; 168 boys and 199 girls) from 14 schools in Greece who attended 10 1 h sessions implemented by their schoolteachers. Data were collected before and after the program implementation through online questionnaires for: a. attitude, intention, subjective norms, and PBC toward healthy eating; b. knowledge about healthy eating; c. exercise behavior and attitude toward the DIEX program; and d. satisfaction with the DIEX program (only post-program). The results showed that there were significant differences among the pre- and post-measures of students’ knowledge and behavior about healthy diet, as well as attitudes and satisfaction toward the program’s application. The results show that the DIEX program may have improved nutrition behavior variables. Conclusively, a theory-based behavioral intervention with skills training may result in positive behavioral changes for young students during health education in school settings with the assistance of new technologies.
A Bayesian One-Sample Test for Proportion
Authors: Al-Labadi Luai , Cheng Yifan , Fazeli-Asl Forough , Lim Kyuson , Weng Yanqing
Published: December 2022

This paper deals with a new Bayesian approach to the one-sample test for proportion. More specifically, let x=(x1,…,xn) be an independent random sample of size n from a Bernoulli distribution with an unknown parameter θ. For a fixed value θ0, the goal is to test the null hypothesis H0:θ=θ0 against all possible alternatives. The proposed approach is based on using the well-known formula of the Kullback–Leibler divergence between two binomial distributions chosen in a certain way. Then, the difference of the distance from a priori to a posteriori is compared through the relative belief ratio (a measure of evidence). Some theoretical properties of the method are developed. Examples and simulation results are included.
Privacy and Explainability: The Effects of Data Protection on Shapley Values
Authors: Bozorgpanah Aso , Torra Vicenç , Aliahmadipour Laya
Published: December 2022

There is an increasing need to provide explainability for machine learning models. There are different alternatives to provide explainability, for example, local and global methods. One of the approaches is based on Shapley values. Privacy is another critical requirement when dealing with sensitive data. Data-driven machine learning models may lead to disclosure. Data privacy provides several methods for ensuring privacy. In this paper, we study how methods for explainability based on Shapley values are affected by privacy methods. We show that some degree of protection still permits to maintain the information of Shapley values for the four machine learning models studied. Experiments seem to indicate that among the four models, Shapley values of linear models are the most affected ones.
Ecotoxicological Risk Assessment of Actellic 50 EC Insecticide on Non-Target Organisms in Parallel with the Application of Standardized Tests
Authors: Paunescu Alina , Ponepal Cristina Maria , Tofan Lucica , Brinzea Gheorghita , Tantu Monica Marilena , Mihaescu Cristina Florina , Draghiceanu Oana Alexandra , Popoviciu Dan Razvan , Fagaras Marius Mirodon , Vasile Daniela , Soare Liliana Cristina
Published: December 2022

This paper contributes to the ecotoxicological risk assessment of the Actellic 50 EC insecticide (with 50% pirimiphos-methyl as the active substance) tested on non-target organisms. The insecticide concentrations tested were the same for all organisms (0.1, 0.01, and 0.001 mg L−1 of Actellic 50 EC), with an exposure of 3–5–21 days for plants and 4–5–14 days for animals. The non-target organisms tested were both plants (wheat and two ferns) and animals (the Prussian carp and marsh frog tadpoles). The tested insecticide significantly inhibited the growth of roots in wheat, a result that was also confirmed by a microbiotest application (62% root growth inhibition in sorghum and 100% germination inhibition in white mustard and garden cress). In ferns, even for the lowest concentration, the percentage of germinated spores was inhibited by 40% for Asplenium scolopendrium. The recorded toxicological effects of Actellic 50 EC upon the Prussian carp included a decrease in the respiratory rate and oxygen consumption, an increase in the number of erythrocytes and leukocytes, and an increase in blood glucose levels. The highest concentration (0.1 mg L−1 of Actellic 50 EC) caused a 50% decrease in the survival rate of marsh frog tadpoles after 5 days of exposure, negatively affecting body volume and length. Given the high degree of toxicity of the insecticide Actellic 50 EC, we recommend continuing investigations on non-target species, including both plants and animals, as the sub-chronic effects are quite little known in the scientific literature.
Subchronic Oral Cylindrospermopsin Exposure Alters the Host Gut Microbiome and Is Associated with Progressive Hepatic Inflammation, Stellate Cell Activation, and Mild Fibrosis in a Preclinical Study
Authors: Saha Punnag , Upright Macayla , Bose Dipro , Roy Subhajit , Trivedi Ayushi , More Madhura , Scott Geoff I. , Brooks Bryan W. , Chatterjee Saurabh
Published: December 2022

Epidemiological studies have reported a strong association between liver injury and incidences of hepatocellular carcinoma in sections of humans globally. Several preclinical studies have shown a strong link between cyanotoxin exposure and the development of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, a precursor of hepatocellular carcinoma. Among the emerging threats from cyanotoxins, new evidence shows cylindrospermopsin release in freshwater lakes. A known hepatotoxin in higher concentrations, we examined the possible role of cylindrospermopsin in causing host gut dysbiosis and its association with liver pathology in a mouse model of toxico-pharmacokinetics and hepatic pathology. The results showed that oral exposure to cylindrospermopsin caused decreased diversity of gut bacteria phyla accompanied by an increased abundance of Clostridioides difficile and decreased abundance of probiotic flora such as Roseburia, Akkermanssia, and Bacteroides thetaiotamicron, a signature most often associated with intestinal and hepatic pathology and underlying gastrointestinal disease. The altered gut dysbiosis was also associated with increased Claudin2 protein in the intestinal lumen, a marker of gut leaching and endotoxemia. The study of liver pathology showed marked liver inflammation, the release of damage-associated molecular patterns, and activation of toll-like receptors, a hallmark of consistent and progressive liver damage. Hepatic pathology was also linked to increased Kupffer cell activation and stellate cell activation, markers of progressive liver damage often linked to the development of liver fibrosis and carcinoma. In conclusion, the present study provides additional evidence of cylindrospermopsin-linked progressive liver pathology that may be very well-linked to gut dysbiosis, though definitive evidence involving this link needs to be studied further.
Extreme Procoagulant Potency in Human Plasma of Venoms from the African Viperid Genera Atheris, Cerastes, and Proatheris and the Relative Efficacy of Antivenoms and Synthetic Enzyme-Inhibitors
Authors: Chowdhury Abhinandan , Lewin Matthew R. , Carter Rebecca , Soria Raul , Aldridge Matt , Fry Bryan G.
Published: December 2022

The African viperid snake genera Atheris, Cerastes, and Proatheris are closely related, similar in size, but occupy extremely divergent ecological niches (arboreal in tropical rainforests, fossorial in deserts, and swamp-dwelling, respectively). Their venoms have not previously been subjected to comparative analyses for their action upon the coagulation of blood, most notably with significant data deficiencies from Atheris and Proatheris. In contrast, the closely related genus Echis is well-documented as capable of producing potent procoagulant effects. In light of this, we set out to compare the coagulotoxic actions of Atheris ceratophora, A. chlorechis, A. desaixi, A. nitschei, A. squamigera, C. cerastes, C. cerastes gasperettii, C. vipera, and Proatheris superciliaris and explore potential pharmacological interventions to reestablish normal blood coagulation. All venoms displayed extremely potent procoagulant effects, over twice as fast as the most potent Echis reported to date. Although Cerastes is used in the immunising mixture of two different regionally available antivenoms (Inoserp-MENA with C. cerastes, C. cerastes gasperettii, C. vipera and Saudi Arabian polyvalent with C. cerastes), none of the other species in this study are included in the immunising mixture of any antivenom. Notably, all the Cerastes species were only neutralised by the Inoserp-MENA antivenom. C. cerastes venom was not neutralised well by the Saudi Arabian antivenom, with the low levels of recognition for any of the Cerastes venoms suggesting a strong regional variation in the venom of this species, as the C. cerastes venom tested was of African (Tunisian) origin versus Saudi locality used in that antivenom’s production. The other antivenoms (Micropharm EchiTAbG, ICP EchiTAb-Plus-ICP, Inosan Inoserp Pan-Africa, Premium Serums PANAF Sub-Sahara Africa, South African Vaccine Producers Echis, South African Vaccine Producers Polyvalent) all displayed trivial-to-no ability to neutralise the procoagulant toxicity of any of the Atheris, Cerastes, or Proatheris venoms. Comparative testing of the enzyme inhibitors DMPS, marimastat, and prinomastat, revealed a very potent neutralising capacity of marimastat, with prinomastat showing lower but still significant potency at the same molar concentration, while a 5× molar concentration of DMPS had no apparent effect on procoagulant venom effects normalized by the other inhibitors. These results and methods contribute to the body of knowledge of potential clinical effects and data necessary for evidence-based advancement of clinical management strategies.
Current Insights in the Mechanisms of Cobra Venom Cytotoxins and Their Complexes in Inducing Toxicity: Implications in Antivenom Therapy
Authors: Kalita Bhargab , Utkin Yuri N. , Mukherjee Ashis K.
Published: December 2022

Cytotoxins (CTXs), an essential class of the non-enzymatic three-finger toxin family, are ubiquitously present in cobra venoms. These low-molecular-mass toxins, contributing to about 40 to 60% of the cobra venom proteome, play a significant role in cobra venom-induced toxicity, more prominently in dermonecrosis. Structurally, CTXs contain the conserved three-finger hydrophobic loops; however, they also exhibit a certain degree of structural diversity that dictates their biological activities. In their mechanism, CTXs mediate toxicity by affecting cell membrane structures and membrane-bound proteins and activating apoptotic and necrotic cell death pathways. Notably, some CTXs are also responsible for depolarizing neurons and heart muscle membranes, thereby contributing to the cardiac failure frequently observed in cobra-envenomed victims. Consequently, they are also known as cardiotoxins (CdTx). Studies have shown that cobra venom CTXs form cognate complexes with other components that potentiate the toxic effects of the venom’s individual component. This review focuses on the pharmacological mechanism of cobra venom CTXs and their complexes, highlighting their significance in cobra venom-induced pathophysiology and toxicity. Furthermore, the potency of commercial antivenoms in reversing the adverse effects of cobra venom CTXs and their complexes in envenomed victims has also been discussed.
Double Hawking Temperature: From Black Hole to de Sitter
Authors: Volovik Grigory E.
Published: December 2022

The double Hawking temperature T=2TH appears in some approaches to the Hawking radiation when the radiation is considered in terms of the quantum tunneling. We consider the origin of such unusual temperature for the black hole horizon and also for the cosmological horizon in de Sitter spacetime. In the case of the black hole horizon, there are two contributions to the tunneling process of radiation, each being governed by the temperature T=2TH. These processes are coherently combined to produce the radiation with the Hawking temperature TH. This can be traditionally interpreted as the pair creation of two entangled particles, of which one goes towards the center of the black hole, while the other one escapes from the black hole. In the case of the cosmological horizon, the temperature T=2TH is physical. While the creation of the entangled pair is described by the Hawking temperature, the de Sitter spacetime allows for another process, in which only a single (non-entangled) particle inside the cosmological horizon is created. This process is characterized by the local temperature T=2TH. The local single-particle process also takes place outside the black hole horizon, but it is exponentially suppressed.
The Value of Vaccines: A Tale of Two Parts
Authors: Fox Nathan , Adams Philip , Grainger David , Herz Jennifer , Austin Carolyn
Published: December 2022

Vaccines are essential to ensuring a nation’s health, wellbeing and prosperity. After the coronavirus pandemic commenced, the Australian Government introduced social restrictions to constrain virus transmission, seeing significant economic impacts. Reflecting the extraordinary circumstances, subsequent vaccination rollout forwent usual health technology assessment (HTA) processes, facilitating restrictions removal and leading to societal and economic recovery. However, in ‘usual’ circumstances, HTA may not consider such broader effects of vaccines, making it challenging for them to achieve timely funding. We used detailed modelling to compare economic impacts under continued lockdowns against population-wide vaccination rollout between January 2020 and June 2023 and examined global HTA vaccine evaluation methodologies and efforts to develop broader valuation approaches. Australian gross domestic product reduces by approximately AUD 395 billion with lockdowns. With vaccination rollout, this effect is approximately AUD 214bn, a positive incremental impact of AUD 181bn. Vaccination contributes to large estimated positive effects for tourism (AUD 28bn) and education (AUD 26bn) exports, employment (142,000 jobs) and government finances (AUD 259bn). Conversely, global HTA methods generally only consider direct patient health outcomes and healthcare system-related costs, with broader effects usually not impacting funding decisions. Our results suggest that recent efforts to propose broader HTA valuation frameworks warrant further policy consideration.