bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identifying barriers and facilitators for implementing harm reduction strategies for methamphetamine use into hospital settings
Authors: Forchuk Cheryl , Serrato Jonathan , Scott Leanne
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Harm reduction strategies for substance use disorder are not currently offered in Canadian hospitals. Previous research has suggested that substance use may continue to occur which can lead to further complications such as new infections. Harm reduction strategies may be a solution to this issue. This secondary analysis aims to explore the current barriers and potential facilitators for implementing harm reduction into the hospital from the perspective of health care and service providers.

Method

Primary data was collected from 31 health care and service providers who participated in a series of virtual focus groups and one-to-one interviews regarding their perspectives on harm reduction. All staff were recruited from hospitals in Southwestern Ontario, Canada from February 2021 to December 2021. Health care and service professionals completed a one-time individual interview or a virtual focus group using an open-ended qualitative interview survey. Qualitative data was transcribed verbatim and analyzed using an ethnographic thematic approach. Themes and subthemes were identified and coded based on responses.

Findings

Attitude and Knowledge, Pragmatics, and Safety/Reduction of Harm were identified as the core themes. Attitudinal barriers such as stigma and lack of acceptance were reported but education, openness and community support were regarded as potential facilitators. Cost, space, time and availability of substances on site were regarded as Pragmatic barriers but potential facilitators such as organizational support, flexible harm reduction services and a specialized team were identified. Policy and liability were perceived as both a barrier and a potential facilitator. Safety and impact of substances on treatment were considered as both a barrier and a potential facilitator but sharps boxes and continuity of care were regarded as potential facilitators.

Discussion

Although barriers in implementing harm reduction in hospital settings exist, there are opportunities to facilitate change. As identified in this study, feasible and achievable solutions are available. Education on harm reduction for staff was considered to be a key clinical implication in facilitating harm reduction implementation.
Development and validation of a machine learning-based predictive model for secondary post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage
Authors: Hu Xiandou , Yang Zixuan , Ma Yuhu , Wang Mengqi , Liu Weijie , Qu Gaoya , Zhong Cuiping
Published: February 2023

Background

The main obstacle to a patient's recovery following a tonsillectomy is complications, and bleeding is the most frequent culprit. Predicting post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage (PTH) allows for accurate identification of high-risk populations and the implementation of protective measures. Our study aimed to investigate how well machine learning models predict the risk of PTH.

Methods

Data were obtained from 520 patients who underwent a tonsillectomy at The 940th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of Chinese People's Liberation Army. The age range of the patients was 2–57 years, and 364 (70%) were male. The prediction models were developed using five machine learning models: decision tree, support vector machine (SVM), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), random forest, and logistic regression. The performance of the models was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Shapley additive explanation (SHAP) was used to interpret the results of the best-performing model.

Results

The frequency of PTH was 11.54% among the 520 patients, with 10.71% in the training group and 13.46% in the validation set. Age, BMI, season, smoking, blood type, INR, combined secretory otitis media, combined adenoidectomy, surgical wound, and use of glucocorticoids were selected by mutual information (MI) method. The XGBoost model had best AUC (0.812) and Brier score (0.152). Decision curve analysis (DCA) showed that the model had a high clinical utility. The SHAP method revealed the top 10 variables of MI according to the importance ranking, and the average of the age was recognized as the most important predictor variable.

Conclusion

This study built a PTH risk prediction model using machine learning. The XGBoost model is a tool with potential to facilitate population management strategies for PTH.
Impact of near-infrared fluorescence imaging with indocyanine green on the surgical treatment of pulmonary masses in dogs
Authors: Sakurai Naoki , Ishigaki Kumiko , Terai Kazuyuki , Heishima Tatsuya , Okada Kazuki , Yoshida Orie , Kagawa Yumiko , Asano Kazushi
Published: February 2023

Objectives

To investigate the intraoperative identification and complete resection of pulmonary masses, and to evaluate lymph node metastasis of pulmonary malignant tumors in dogs using indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging.

Methods

Forty dogs with pulmonary masses were included, all of which underwent surgical treatment. ICG fluorescence imaging was performed on pulmonary masses before lobectomy and the resection margins after lobectomy. In addition, ICG fluorescence of the excised masses and lymph nodes was evaluated in the shaded box. The fluorescence findings were compared with the histopathological diagnosis.

Results

Of 44 nodules resected from 40 dogs, 32 nodules were histopathologically diagnosed as lung adenocarcinoma, five were histiocytic sarcoma, three were undifferentiated sarcoma, two were malignant epithelial tumor metastases, one was carcinosarcoma, and one was a non-neoplastic lesion. Fluorescence was observed in all nodules. In addition to the main lesion, other fluorescent nodules were found in four dogs. Regarding the diagnostic accuracy of complete resection based on ICG fluorescence, the sensitivity was 67.7% and the specificity was 60.0%. The sensitivity and specificity of ICG fluorescence for the diagnosis of lymph node metastasis were 100 and 75.0%, respectively.

Conclusions

ICG fluorescence imaging might be a useful intraoperative diagnostic method to identify the location of tumors and lymph node metastasis, but not to evaluate complete tumor resection, in dogs with pulmonary malignant tumors.
Leadership Styles and Innovation Management: What Is the Role of Human Capital?
Authors: Costa Joana , Pádua Mariana , Moreira António Carrizo
Published: February 2023

Leadership styles and human capital are important drivers of innovation processes. The way the leader interacts with the organization members can pre-empt or leverage innovation processes as leaders influence, empower and motivate other individuals in the achievement of their goals. Human capital is an important driver of innovation and competitiveness, as it will shape the uniqueness of the company as well as the process to obtain skills, capabilities, knowledge and expertise. As such, the main objectives of the paper are to analyze the impact of leadership styles on the innovation process and also to address the moderation effect of the human capital on the previous relation. Four leadership styles—autocratic, transactional, democratic, and transformational—were considered to measure their impacts on the innovation process, considering the alternative types of innovations. The 2018 Community Innovation Survey (CIS) database was used, encompassing Portuguese data, covering the 2016–2018 period, with a sample of 13702 firms. In regard to the empirical part, first, an exploratory analysis was run to better understand the connection between the leadership styles and the innovative strategies followed by an econometric estimation encompassing 28 logit models to disentangle the specific impacts of each leader on each innovation type. Evidence proves that autocratic and transactional leadership styles have a negative impact on innovation and transformational and democratic leadership impact innovation positively. Furthermore, human capital was found to moderate the relationship between leadership styles and the innovation process; i.e., under the same leadership style, the presence of additional skills leverages innovative propensity. The paper brings relevant insights for both managers and policymakers, highlighting that innovation will be accelerated if firms implement more participatory (democratic and transformational) leadership styles and also if they invest in competences to promote knowledge internalization and share. All in all, participatory leadership combined with the internal skills is proved to be an efficient combination for innovation to take place; as such, policy instruments must promote the coexistence of these two factors.
Ram Semen Cryopreservation for Portuguese Native Breeds: Season and Breed Effects on Semen Quality Variation
Authors: Barbas João Pedro , Pimenta Jorge , Baptista Maria Conceição , Marques Carla Cruz , Pereira Rosa Maria Lino Neto , Carolino Nuno , Simões João
Published: February 2023

The semen quality is one of the determinant factors of ram semen cryopreservation. The present retrospective study aimed to characterize the seasonal ram pattern during the year for ten Portuguese local sheep breeds, hypothesizing that the breed and season had low effects on the main spermatozoa traits. A total of 1471 ejaculates were used and evaluated (fresh semen) from 85 rams between 2004 and 2020 and re-evaluated after thawing (thawed semen). The effect of breed, season, and sperm cryopreservation on nine semen traits were evaluated. The volume per ejaculate, spermatozoa (SPZ) concentration, and total number of SPZ per ejaculate, were affected by breed (p < 0.001) but not by season (p > 0.05). As expected, the semen processing was the most significant (p < 0.001) factor of variation on seminal parameters. Moreover, breed and interactions between breed × semen processing, modulated the response of alive SPZ, abnormal morphology, head, and intermediate piece defects. In fresh semen, season only affected the intermediate piece defects due to the highest percentage observed between February and April period in some breeds. Overall, and despite the mentioned particularities, there were similarities among the ten local breeds. We also concluded that the seasonal effect on ejaculate and SPZ traits is not significant in our region. These local ram breeds have low seasonality and can be employed in natural mating as well as semen donors for cryopreservation and assisted reproductive biotechnologies during the whole year at our latitude.
Metagenomic Analysis of the Outdoor Dust Microbiomes: A Case Study from Abu Dhabi, UAE
Authors: Maloukh Lina , Nazzal Yousef , Kumarappan Alagappan , Howari Fares , Ambika Lakshmi Kesari , Yahmadi Rihab , Sharma Manish , Iqbal Jibran , Al-Taani Ahmed A. , Salem Imen Ben , Xavier Cijo M. , Naseem Muhamad
Published: February 2023

Outdoor dust covers a shattered range of microbial agents from land over transportation, human microbial flora, which includes pathogen and commensals, and airborne from the environment. Dust aerosols are rich in bacterial communities that have a major impact on human health and living environments. In this study, outdoor samples from roadside barricades, safety walls, and fences (18 samples) were collected from Abu Dhabi, UAE and bacterial diversity was assessed through a 16S rRNA amplicon next generation sequencing approach. Clean data from HiSeq produced 1,099,892 total reads pairs for 18 samples. For all samples, taxonomic classifications were assigned to the OTUs (operational taxonomic units) representative sequence using the Ribosomal Database Project database. Analysis such as alpha diversity, beta diversity, differential species analysis, and species relative abundance were performed in the clustering of samples and a functional profile heat map was obtained from the OTUs by using bioinformatics tools. A total of 2814 OTUs were identified from those samples with a coverage of more than 99%. In the phylum, all 18 samples had most of the bacterial groups such as Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. Twelve samples had Propionibacteria acnes and were mainly found in RD16 and RD3. Major bacteria species such as Propionibacteria acnes, Bacillus persicus, and Staphylococcus captis were found in all samples. Most of the samples had Streptococcus mitis, Staphylococcus capitis. and Nafulsella turpanensis and Enhydrobacter aerosaccus was part of the normal microbes of the skin. Salinimicrobium sp., Bacillus alkalisediminis, and Bacillus persicus are halophilic bacteria found in sediments. The heat map clustered the samples and species in vertical and horizontal classification, which represents the relationship between the samples and bacterial diversity. The heat map for the functional profile had high properties of amino acids, carbohydrate, and cofactor and vitamin metabolisms of all bacterial species from all samples. Taken together, our analyses are very relevant from the perspective of out-door air quality, airborne diseases, and epidemics, with broader implications for health safety and monitoring.
Fully Automatic Liver and Tumor Segmentation from CT Image Using an AIM-Unet
Authors: Özcan Fırat , Uçan Osman , Karaçam Songül , Tunçman Duygu
Published: February 2023

The segmentation of the liver is a difficult process due to the changes in shape, border, and density that occur in each section in computed tomography (CT) images. In this study, the Adding Inception Module-Unet (AIM-Unet) model, which is a hybridization of convolutional neural networks-based Unet and Inception models, is proposed for computer-assisted automatic segmentation of the liver and liver tumors from CT scans of the abdomen. Experimental studies were carried out on four different liver CT image datasets, one of which was prepared for this study and three of which were open (CHAOS, LIST, and 3DIRCADb). The results obtained using the proposed method and the segmentation results marked by the specialist were compared with the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), Jaccard similarity coefficient (JSC), and accuracy (ACC) measurement parameters. In this study, we obtained the best DSC, JSC, and ACC liver segmentation performance metrics on the CHAOS dataset as 97.86%, 96.10%, and 99.75%, respectively, of the AIM-Unet model we propose, which is trained separately on three datasets (LiST, CHAOS, and our dataset) containing liver images. Additionally, 75.6% and 65.5% of the DSC tumor segmentation metrics were calculated on the proposed model LiST and 3DIRCADb datasets, respectively. In addition, the segmentation success results on the datasets with the AIM-Unet model were compared with the previous studies. With these results, it has been seen that the method proposed in this study can be used as an auxiliary tool in the decision-making processes of physicians for liver segmentation and detection of liver tumors. This study is useful for medical images, and the developed model can be easily developed for applications in different organs and other medical fields.
Multi-Parametric Radiomic Model to Predict 1p/19q Co-Deletion in Patients with IDH-1 Mutant Glioma: Added Value to the T2-FLAIR Mismatch Sign
Authors: Kihira Shingo , Derakhshani Ahrya , Leung Michael , Mahmoudi Keon , Bauer Adam , Zhang Haoyue , Polson Jennifer , Arnold Corey , Tsankova Nadejda M. , Hormigo Adilia , Salehi Banafsheh , Pham Nancy , Ellingson Benjamin M. , Cloughesy Timothy F. , Nael Kambiz
Published: February 2023

Purpose: The T2-FLAIR mismatch sign has shown promise in determining IDH mutant 1p/19q non-co-deleted gliomas with a high specificity and modest sensitivity. To develop a multi-parametric radiomic model using MRI to predict 1p/19q co-deletion status in patients with newly diagnosed IDH1 mutant glioma and to perform a comparative analysis to T2-FLAIR mismatch sign+. Methods: In this retrospective study, patients with diagnosis of IDH1 mutant gliomas with known 1p/19q status who had preoperative MRI were included. T2-FLAIR mismatch was evaluated independently by two board-certified neuroradiologists. Texture features were extracted from glioma segmentation of FLAIR images. eXtremeGradient Boosting (XGboost) classifiers were used for model development. Leave-one-out-cross-validation (LOOCV) and external validation performances were reported for both the training and external validation sets. Results: A total of 103 patients were included for model development and 18 patients for external testing validation. The diagnostic performance (sensitivity/specificity/accuracy) in the determination of the 1p/19q co-deletion status was 59%/83%/67% (training) and 62.5%/70.0%/66.3% (testing) for the T2-FLAIR mismatch sign. This was significantly improved (p = 0.04) using the radiomics model to 77.9%/82.8%/80.3% (training) and 87.5%/89.9%/88.8% (testing), respectively. The addition of radiomics as a computer-assisted tool resulted in significant (p = 0.02) improvement in the performance of the neuroradiologist with 13 additional corrected cases in comparison to just using the T2-FLAIR mismatch sign. Conclusion: The proposed radiomic model provides much needed sensitivity to the highly specific T2-FLAIR mismatch sign in the determination of the 1p/19q non-co-deletion status and improves the overall diagnostic performance of neuroradiologists when used as an assistive tool.
Therapeutic Cell Repopulation of the Liver: From Fetal Rat Cells to Synthetic Human Tissues
Authors: Shafritz David A. , Ebrahimkhani Mo R. , Oertel Michael
Published: February 2023

Progenitor cells isolated from the fetal liver can provide a unique cell source to generate new healthy tissue mass. Almost 20 years ago, it was demonstrated that rat fetal liver cells repopulate the normal host liver environment via a mechanism akin to cell competition. Activin A, which is produced by hepatocytes, was identified as an important player during cell competition. Because of reduced activin receptor expression, highly proliferative fetal liver stem/progenitor cells are resistant to activin A and therefore exhibit a growth advantage compared to hepatocytes. As a result, transplanted fetal liver cells are capable of repopulating normal livers. Important for cell-based therapies, hepatic stem/progenitor cells containing repopulation potential can be separated from fetal hematopoietic cells using the cell surface marker δ-like 1 (Dlk-1). In livers with advanced fibrosis, fetal epithelial stem/progenitor cells differentiate into functional hepatic cells and out-compete injured endogenous hepatocytes, which cause anti-fibrotic effects. Although fetal liver cells efficiently repopulate the liver, they will likely not be used for human cell transplantation. Thus, utilizing the underlying mechanism of repopulation and developed methods to produce similar growth-advantaged cells in vitro, e.g., human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), this approach has great potential for developing novel cell-based therapies in patients with liver disease. The present review gives a brief overview of the classic cell transplantation models and various cell sources studied as donor cell candidates. The advantages of fetal liver-derived stem/progenitor cells are discussed, as well as the mechanism of liver repopulation. Moreover, this article reviews the potential of in vitro developed synthetic human fetal livers from iPSCs and their therapeutic benefits.
Seasonal Abundance, Density and Distribution of Cetaceans in the Bulgarian Black Sea Shelf in 2017
Authors: Popov Dimitar , Panayotova Marina , Bekova Radoslava , Dimitrov Hristo , Meshkova Galina
Published: February 2023

Black Sea cetaceans are isolated and nominated as endemic subspecies listed in the IUCN Red List of Endangered species: the harbour porpoise and bottlenose dolphin as Endangered (EN) and the common dolphin as Vulnerable (VU). Studies of their distribution and abundance are scarce but obligatory for assessment of their conservation status. Being highly mobile apex predators entails large variations in spatial and temporal distribution. Two vessel line–transect distance sampling surveys were conducted in 2017 in the Bulgarian shelf with the aim to estimate the density, abundance and distribution during spring and autumn. Results have revealed a shift from the coastal to offshore shelf of harbour porpoises with marked southern movement. Density of porpoises varied from 1.423 ind./km2 (CV = 25.4%) in spring to 0.576 ind./km2 (CV = 43.43%) in autumn. The density of common dolphins was also decreasing, from 0.391 ind./km2 (CV = 36.84%) to 0.088 ind./km2 (CV = 42.13%), which was more significant in offshore (0.031 ind./km2, CV = 58.04%) than in the coastal shelf (0.138 ind./km2, CV = 48.59%). Bottlenose dolphins had almost constant density in both seasons in the coastal shelf: 0.211 ind./km2 (CV = 52.15%) and 0.187 ind./km2 (CV = 52.13%) but a very low density in the offshore shelf in autumn: 0.042 ind./km2 (CV = 71.07%). The importance of existing NATURA 2000 sites for the harbour porpoise (BG0000621 Shabla-Ezerets, BG0000573 Kompleks Kaliaka, BG0001001 Ropotamo and BG0001007 Strandzha) and bottlenose dolphin (BG0000621 Shabla-Ezerets, BG0000573 Kompleks Kaliaka, BG0001501 Emona and BG0001001 Ropotamo) were confirmed.
Decoupled Control Design of Aerial Manipulation Systems for Vegetation Sampling Application
Authors: Samadikhoshkho Zahra , Lipsett Michael
Published: February 2023

A key challenge in the use of drones for an aerial manipulation task such as cutting tree branches is the control problem, especially in the presence of an unpredictable and nonlinear environment. While prior work focused on simplifying the problem by modeling a simple interaction with branches and controlling the system with nonlinear and non-robust control schemes, the current work deals with the problem by designing novel robust nonlinear controllers for aerial manipulation systems that are appropriate for vegetation sampling. In this regard, two different potential control schemes are proposed: nonlinear disturbance observer-based control (NDOBC) and adaptive sliding mode control (ASMC). Each considers the external disturbances and unknown parameters in controller design. The proposed control scheme in both methods employs a decoupled architecture that treats the unmanned aerial vehicle and the manipulator arm of the sampler payload as separate units. In the proposed control structures, controllers are designed after comprehensively investigating the dynamics of both the aerial vehicle and the robotic arm. Each system is then controlled independently in the presence of external disturbances, unknown parameter changes, and the nonlinear coupling between the aerial vehicle and robotic arm. In addition, fully actuated and underactuated aerial platforms are examined, and their stability and controllability are compared so as to choose the most practical framework. Finally, the simulation findings verify and compare the performance and effectiveness of the proposed control strategies for a custom aerial manipulation system that has been designed and developed for field trials.
Beyond the Light-Cone Propagation of Relativistic Wavefunctions: Numerical Results
Authors: Gutierrez de la Cal Xabier , Matzkin Alex
Published: February 2023

It is known that relativistic wavefunctions formally propagate beyond the light cone when the propagator is limited to the positive energy sector. By construction, this is the case for solutions of the Salpeter (or relativistic Schrödinger) equation or for Klein–Gordon and Dirac wavefunctions defined in the Foldy–Wouthuysen representation. In this work, we quantitatively investigate the degree of non-causality for free propagation for different types of wavepackets that all initially have a compact spatial support. In the studied examples, we find that non-causality appears as a small transient effect that can in most cases be neglected. We display several numerical results and discuss the fundamental and practical consequences of our findings concerning this peculiar dynamical feature.
A System-Independent Derivation of Preferential Attachment from the Principle of Least Effort
Authors: Machu François Xavier , Wang Ru Julie , Cheng Jean Louis , Cocks Jeremy , Wang Qiuping Alexandre
Published: February 2023

Preferential attachment (PA) is a widely observed behavior in many living systems and has been used in modeling many networks. The aim of this work is to show that the mechanism of PA is a consequence of the fundamental principle of least effort. We derive PA directly from this principle in maximizing an efficiency function. This approach not only allows a better understanding of the different PA mechanisms already reported but also naturally extends these mechanisms with a non-power law probability of attachment. The possibility of using the efficiency function as a general measure of attachment efficiency is also investigated.
Design and Evaluation of a Water-Based, Semitransparent Photovoltaic Thermal Trombe Wall
Authors: Bhadra Sheel , Sen Niloy , K Akshay K , Singh Harmeet , O’Brien Paul G.
Published: February 2023

Trombe walls are a passive solar technology that can contribute to the reduction of building heating loads. However, during warmer weather conditions, Trombe walls may cause overheating. In this work, we investigate the feasibility of using Trombe walls to perform multiple functions during warm weather conditions including (1) heating and storing water for building applications, (2) providing occupants with visibility to the outdoors, and (3) generating electric power. Experiments are performed on a small-scale prototype comprising a clear water storage container with a transparent window and a tinted acrylic sheet that is immersed in the water. Photovoltaic cells are placed on the bottom half of the front face of the water storage container. Results show that water at the top of the clear container can be heated to temperatures as high as 45 °C when subjected to solar-simulated radiation for five hours. Numerical simulations predict that similar temperatures can be reached if the Trombe wall is scaled to full size. Furthermore, the cooler water at the bottom of the water storage container acts as a heatsink that reduces the extent to which the temperature of the PV cells is elevated. Results show the temperature and open circuit voltage of the PV cells are about 50 °C and 0.66 V, respectively, when water is present. However, when the water is absent from the container, the temperature of the PV cells increases up to 90 °C and their open circuit voltage drops to 0.60 V. The results show that water-based, semitransparent photovoltaic thermal Trombe walls have the potential to operate as multifunctional building envelopes that simultaneously provide for daylighting, heated water and electric power, and further research in this area is warranted.
How to Promote the Application of Biogas Power Technology: A Perspective of Incentive Policy
Authors: Xin-gang Zhao , Wei Wang , Shuran Hu , Wenjie Lu
Published: February 2023

To combat climate change, the Chinese government has implemented a package of policies to support the development of the biogas power generation industry. However, the promotion of biogas power generation technology in China is relatively slow. Therefore, it is of practical significance to study the promotion of biogas power generation technology against the background of policy support. In order to study the effect of policy on the promotion of biogas power generation technology, a system dynamics model is constructed in this paper. The results show that under the feed-in tariff subsidy policy, biogas power generation technology can be well promoted because it has good economic and environmental effects. In addition, if the biogas power generation technology is considered to participate in carbon emission trading, the carbon price also has a positive impact on the promotion of biogas power generation technology because it increases the perceived economic value of biogas power generation projects. Finally, this study can also provide reference value for the promotion of biogas power generation technology in other areas.
Determination of Optimum Outlet Slit Thickness and Outlet Angle for the Bladeless Fan Using the CFD Approach
Authors: Joshi Vedant , Noronha Wedyn , G. Vinayagamurthy , R. Sivakumar , K. B. Rajasekarababu
Published: February 2023

Bladeless fans are more energy efficient, safer due to the hidden blades, easier to clean, and more adjustable than conventional fans. This paper investigates the influence of the airfoil’s outlet slit thickness on the discharge ratio by varying the outlet slit thickness of an Eppler 473 airfoil from 1.2 mm to 2 mm in intervals of 0.2 mm by using a k-omega SST turbulence model with an all y+ wall treatment used to numerically simulate in CFD. The computational results indicated that smaller slits showed higher discharge ratios. The airfoil with a 1.2 mm slit thickness showed a discharge ratio of 18.78, a 24% increase from the discharge ratio of the 2 mm slit. The effect of outlet angle on the pressure drop across the airfoil was also studied. Outlet angles were varied from 16° to 26° by an interval of 2°. The airfoil profile with a 24° outlet angle showed a maximum pressure difference of 965 Pa between the slit and leading edge. In contrast, the 16° outlet angle showed the least pressure difference of 355 Pa. Parameters such as average velocity (U), turbulent kinetic energy, the standard deviation of velocity, and outlet velocity magnitude are used to assess the performance of airfoil profiles used in bladeless fan.
A Review of Different Methodologies to Study Occupant Comfort and Energy Consumption
Authors: Yaacoub Antonella , Esseghir Moez , Merghem-Boulahia Leila
Published: February 2023

The goal of this work is to give a full review of how machine learning (ML) is used in thermal comfort studies, highlight the most recent techniques and findings, and lay out a plan for future research. Most of the researchers focus on developing models related to thermal comfort prediction. However, only a few works look at the current state of adaptive thermal comfort studies and the ways in which it could save energy. This study showed that using ML control schemas to make buildings more comfortable in terms of temperature could cut energy by more than 27%. Finally, this paper identifies the remaining difficulties in using ML in thermal comfort investigations, including data collection, thermal comfort indices, sample size, feature selection, model selection, and real-world application.
Softwood Anatomy: A Review
Authors: Esteban Luis G. , de Palacios Paloma , Heinz Immo , Gasson Peter , García-Iruela Alberto , García-Fernández Francisco
Published: February 2023

Although conifers have very homogeneous wood anatomical structure, some of their features allow differentiation of genera or groups of genera. Softwood anatomy is reviewed and the authors have added contributions, grouping features in five blocks (axial tracheids, axial parenchyma, rays, resin canals and mineral inclusions), with special attention to their diagnostic value at the family, genus or species levels. The discussion addresses, in axial tracheids: growth rings, intercellular spaces, pit arrangement, presence of scalloped tori, torus extensions, notches, warty layer, organic deposits, helical and callitroid thickenings, bars of Sanio and trabeculae; in axial parenchyma: presence or absence, arrangement and type of transverse end walls; in rays: composition, type of horizontal and end walls and cross-field pitting; in resin canals: epithelium and the presence of normal or traumatic resin canals; and in mineral inclusions: presence or absence. Wood structure is characterised at the family level, discussing the main elements that can be used for diagnosis at the genus level or in groups of genera.
Translational Bioinformatics Applied to the Study of Complex Diseases
Authors: Casotti Matheus Correia , Meira Débora Dummer , Alves Lyvia Neves Rebello , Bessa Barbara Gomes de Oliveira , Campanharo Camilly Victória , Vicente Creuza Rachel , Aguiar Carla Carvalho , Duque Daniel de Almeida , Barbosa Débora Gonçalves , Santos Eldamária de Vargas Wolfgramm dos , Garcia Fernanda Mariano , Paula Flávia de , Santana Gabriel Mendonça , Pavan Isabele Pagani , Louro Luana Santos , Braga Raquel Furlani Rocon , Trabach Raquel Silva dos Reis , Louro Thomas Santos , Carvalho Elizeu Fagundes de , Louro Iúri Drumond
Published: February 2023

Translational Bioinformatics (TBI) is defined as the union of translational medicine and bioinformatics. It emerges as a major advance in science and technology by covering everything, from the most basic database discoveries, to the development of algorithms for molecular and cellular analysis, as well as their clinical applications. This technology makes it possible to access the knowledge of scientific evidence and apply it to clinical practice. This manuscript aims to highlight the role of TBI in the study of complex diseases, as well as its application to the understanding and treatment of cancer. An integrative literature review was carried out, obtaining articles through several websites, among them: PUBMED, Science Direct, NCBI-PMC, Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), and Google Academic, published in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, indexed in the referred databases and answering the following guiding question: “How does TBI provide a scientific understanding of complex diseases?” An additional effort is aimed at the dissemination, inclusion, and perpetuation of TBI knowledge from the academic environment to society, helping the study, understanding, and elucidating of complex disease mechanics and their treatment.
Study of ‘Cona degli Ordini’ by Colantonio with IR and XRF Analyses
Authors: Scialla Elvira , Improda Paola , Brocchieri Jessica , Cardinali Marco , Cerasuolo Angela , Rullo Alessandra , Zezza Andrea , Sabbarese Carlo
Published: February 2023

Two paintings by the Neapolitan Renaissance painter Colantonio were studied with two non-invasive techniques to enrich the technical–scientific documentation. Infrared reflectography (IR) and x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyses were performed on Saint Jerome in the studio and Saint Francis delivering the Rule, paintings preserved in the Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte. The IR scanning was performed to look beyond the visible layers of the paint for the preparatory drawings and pentimenti, or changes made during the painting process. The XRF technique was applied in many points to determine the elemental composition and enable the identification of pigments and materials used in paint and in the preparatory layers. Elemental XRF mapping was also carried out on a region of particular interest. Results provide an initial overview and hypothesis of color palette and techniques used by the artist.
Small Indigenous Fish: A Potential Source of Valuable Nutrients in the Context of Bangladesh
Authors: Islam Md Rakibul , Yeasmin Momota , Sadia Sultana , Ali Md Sadek , Haque Ahmed Redwan , Roy Vikash Chandra
Published: February 2023

Peoples can readily and affordably obtain small indigenous fish species (SIS), with a maximum length of 25 cm, that can be found in niches in small bodies of water (such as canals, ponds, wetlands, streams, etc.). SIS contribute valuable and significant macro- and micronutrients in Bangladesh. SIS are excellent suppliers of vitamins and minerals. The main micronutrients are copper, iodine, iron, selenium, chromium, and zinc, which can help prevent mineral deficiency and enzymatic response in the human body. SIS, such as the mola (Amblypharyngodon mola), cotio (Osteobrama cotio), darkina (Esomus danricus), etc., are easily digestible by the human gut. Nutrients of these fish are quickly accessible by the intestine. These fish are comparatively cheap and easy to capture and promote the presence of particular vitamins in SIS, including A, D, E, and K, as well as vitamin B components. This review paper focuses on the SIS nutritional contribution and their efficacy of preventing malnutrition in developing countries such as Bangladesh and the whole world.
Notch1 Is Involved in Physiologic Cardiac Hypertrophy of Mice via the p38 Signaling Pathway after Voluntary Running
Authors: Zhang Weiwei , Liu Jiayi , Wu Zekang , Fan Guanwei , Yang Zhuo , Liu Chunhua
Published: February 2023

Appropriate exercise such as voluntary wheel-running can induce physiological cardiac hypertrophy. Notch1 plays an important role in cardiac hypertrophy; however, the experimental results are inconsistent. In this experiment, we aimed to explore the role of Notch1 in physiological cardiac hypertrophy. Twenty-nine adult male mice were randomly divided into a Notch1 heterozygous deficient control (Notch1+/− CON) group, a Notch1 heterozygous deficient running (Notch1+/− RUN) group, a wild type control (WT CON) group, and a wild type running (WT RUN) group. Mice in the Notch1+/− RUN and WT RUN groups had access to voluntary wheel-running for two weeks. Next, the cardiac function of all of the mice was examined by echocardiography. The H&E staining, Masson trichrome staining, and a Western blot assay were carried out to analyze cardiac hypertrophy, cardiac fibrosis, and the expression of proteins relating to cardiac hypertrophy. After two-weeks of running, the Notch1 receptor expression was decreased in the hearts of the WT RUN group. The degree of cardiac hypertrophy in the Notch1+/− RUN mice was lower than that of their littermate control. Compared to the Notch1+/− CON group, Notch1 heterozygous deficiency could lead to a decrease in Beclin-1 expression and the ratio of LC3II/LC3I in the Notch1+/− RUN group. The results suggest that Notch1 heterozygous deficiency could partly dampen the induction of autophagy. Moreover, Notch1 deficiency may lead to the inactivation of p38 and the reduction of β-catenin expression in the Notch1+/− RUN group. In conclusion, Notch1 plays a critical role in physiologic cardiac hypertrophy through the p38 signaling pathway. Our results will help to understand the underlying mechanism of Notch1 on physiological cardiac hypertrophy.
Soft X-ray Fluorescence and Near-Edge Absorption Microscopy for Investigating Metabolic Features in Biological Systems: A Review
Authors: Bonanni Valentina , Gianoncelli Alessandra
Published: February 2023

Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) provides the imaging of biological specimens allowing the parallel collection of localized spectroscopic information by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and/or X-ray Absorption Near Edge Spectroscopy (XANES). The complex metabolic mechanisms which can take place in biological systems can be explored by these techniques by tracing even small quantities of the chemical elements involved in the metabolic pathways. Here, we present a review of the most recent publications in the synchrotrons’ scenario where soft X-ray spectro-microscopy has been employed in life science as well as in environmental research.
Brain Waste Removal System and Sleep: Photobiomodulation as an Innovative Strategy for Night Therapy of Brain Diseases
Authors: Semyachkina-Glushkovskaya Oxana , Fedosov Ivan , Penzel Thomas , Li Dongyu , Yu Tingting , Telnova Valeria , Kaybeleva Elmira , Saranceva Elena , Terskov Andrey , Khorovodov Alexander , Blokhina Inna , Kurths Jürgen , Zhu Dan
Published: February 2023

Emerging evidence suggests that an important function of the sleeping brain is the removal of wastes and toxins from the central nervous system (CNS) due to the activation of the brain waste removal system (BWRS). The meningeal lymphatic vessels (MLVs) are an important part of the BWRS. A decrease in MLV function is associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, intracranial hemorrhages, brain tumors and trauma. Since the BWRS is activated during sleep, a new idea is now being actively discussed in the scientific community: night stimulation of the BWRS might be an innovative and promising strategy for neurorehabilitation medicine. This review highlights new trends in photobiomodulation of the BWRS/MLVs during deep sleep as a breakthrough technology for the effective removal of wastes and unnecessary compounds from the brain in order to increase the neuroprotection of the CNS as well as to prevent or delay various brain diseases.
The Combination of Immune Checkpoint Blockade with Tumor Vessel Normalization as a Promising Therapeutic Strategy for Breast Cancer: An Overview of Preclinical and Clinical Studies
Authors: Melaiu Ombretta , Vanni Gianluca , Portarena Ilaria , Pistolese Chiara Adriana , Anemona Lucia , Pomella Silvia , Bei Roberto , Buonomo Oreste Claudio , Roselli Mario , Mauriello Alessandro , Barillari Giovanni
Published: February 2023

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have a modest clinical activity when administered as monotherapy against breast cancer (BC), the most common malignancy in women. Novel combinatorial strategies are currently being investigated to overcome resistance to ICIs and promote antitumor immune responses in a greater proportion of BC patients. Recent studies have shown that the BC abnormal vasculature is associated with immune suppression in patients, and hampers both drug delivery and immune effector cell trafficking to tumor nests. Thus, strategies directed at normalizing (i.e., at remodeling and stabilizing) the immature, abnormal tumor vessels are receiving much attention. In particular, the combination of ICIs with tumor vessel normalizing agents is thought to hold great promise for the treatment of BC patients. Indeed, a compelling body of evidence indicates that the addition of low doses of antiangiogenic drugs to ICIs substantially improves antitumor immunity. In this review, we outline the impact that the reciprocal interactions occurring between tumor angiogenesis and immune cells have on the immune evasion and clinical progression of BC. In addition, we overview preclinical and clinical studies that are presently evaluating the therapeutic effectiveness of combining ICIs with antiangiogenic drugs in BC patients.
Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Implants for the Treatment of Focal Chondral Defects of the Knee in Animal Models: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Lee Ernest , Epanomeritakis Ilias Ektor , Lu Victor , Khan Wasim
Published: February 2023

Osteoarthritis remains an unfortunate long-term consequence of focal cartilage defects of the knee. Associated with functional loss and pain, it has necessitated the exploration of new therapies to regenerate cartilage before significant deterioration and subsequent joint replacement take place. Recent studies have investigated a multitude of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) sources and polymer scaffold compositions. It is uncertain how different combinations affect the extent of integration of native and implant cartilage and the quality of new cartilage formed. Implants seeded with bone marrow-derived MSCs (BMSCs) have demonstrated promising results in restoring these defects, largely through in vitro and animal studies. A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted using five databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and CINAHL) to identify studies using BMSC-seeded implants in animal models of focal cartilage defects of the knee. Quantitative results from the histological assessment of integration quality were extracted. Repair cartilage morphology and staining characteristics were also recorded. Meta-analysis demonstrated that high-quality integration was achieved, exceeding that of cell-free comparators and control groups. This was associated with repair tissue morphology and staining properties which resembled those of native cartilage. Subgroup analysis showed better integration outcomes for studies using poly-glycolic acid-based scaffolds. In conclusion, BMSC-seeded implants represent promising strategies for the advancement of focal cartilage defect repair. While a greater number of studies treating human patients is necessary to realize the full clinical potential of BMSC therapy, high-quality integration scores suggest that these implants could generate repair cartilage of substantial longevity.
Integrated Transcriptome and Metabolome Dissecting Interaction between Vitis vinifera L. and Grapevine Fabavirus
Authors: Zhang Baodong , Zhang Mengyan , Jia Xiaojun , Hu Guojun , Ren Fang , Fan Xudong , Dong Yafeng
Published: February 2023

Grapevine fabavirus (GFabV) is a novel member of the Fabavirus genus associated with chlorotic mottling and deformation symptoms in grapevines. To gain insights into the interaction between GFabV and grapevines, V. vinifera cv. ‘Summer Black’ infected with GFabV was investigated under field conditions through physiological, agronomic, and multi-omics approaches. GFabV induced significant symptoms on ‘Summer Black’, and caused a moderate decrease in physiological efficiency. In GFabV-infected plants, alterations in carbohydrate- and photosynthesis-related genes might trigger some defense responses. In addition, secondary metabolism involved in plant defense was progressively induced by GFabV. Jasmonic acid and ethylene signaling were down-regulated in GFabV-infected leaves and berries along with the expression of proteins related to LRR and protein kinases, suggesting that GFabV can block the defense in healthy leaves and berries. Furthermore, this study provided biomarkers for early monitoring of GFabV infection in grapevines, and contributed to a better understanding of the complex grapevine-virus interaction.
Mesoporous Bioactive Nanoparticles for Bone Tissue Applications
Authors: Arcos Daniel , Portolés María Teresa
Published: February 2023

Research in nanomaterials with applications in bone regeneration therapies has experienced a very significant advance with the development of bioactive mesoporous nanoparticles (MBNPs). These nanomaterials consist of small spherical particles that exhibit chemical properties and porous structures that stimulate bone tissue regeneration, since they have a composition similar to that of conventional sol–gel bioactive glasses and high specific surface area and porosity values. The rational design of mesoporosity and their ability to incorporate drugs make MBNPs an excellent tool for the treatment of bone defects, as well as the pathologies that cause them, such as osteoporosis, bone cancer, and infection, among others. Moreover, the small size of MBNPs allows them to penetrate inside the cells, provoking specific cellular responses that conventional bone grafts cannot perform. In this review, different aspects of MBNPs are comprehensively collected and discussed, including synthesis strategies, behavior as drug delivery systems, incorporation of therapeutic ions, formation of composites, specific cellular response and, finally, in vivo studies that have been performed to date.
A Protein Co-Conservation Network Model Characterizes Mutation Effects on SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein
Authors: Zeng Lianjie , Lu Yitan , Yan Wenying , Yang Yang
Published: February 2023

The emergence of numerous variants of SARS-CoV-2 has presented challenges to the global efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic. The major mutation is in the SARS-CoV-2 viral envelope spike protein that is responsible for virus attachment to the host, and is the main target for host antibodies. It is critically important to study the biological effects of the mutations to understand the mechanisms of how mutations alter viral functions. Here, we propose a protein co-conservation weighted network (PCCN) model only based on the protein sequence to characterize the mutation sites by topological features and to investigate the mutation effects on the spike protein from a network view. Frist, we found that the mutation sites on the spike protein had significantly larger centrality than the non-mutation sites. Second, the stability changes and binding free energy changes in the mutation sites were positively significantly correlated with their neighbors’ degree and the shortest path length separately. The results indicate that our PCCN model provides new insights into mutations on spike proteins and reflects the mutation effects on protein function alternations.