bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Serotonin Heteroreceptor Complexes and Their Integration of Signals in Neurons and Astroglia—Relevance for Mental Diseases
Authors: Borroto-Escuela Dasiel O. , Ambrogini Patrizia , Narvaez Manuel , Di Liberto Valentina , Beggiato Sarah , Ferraro Luca , Fores-Pons Ramon , Alvarez-Contino Jose E. , Lopez-Salas Alexander , Mudò Giuseppa , Díaz-Cabiale Zaida , Fuxe Kjell
Published: July 2021

The heteroreceptor complexes present a novel biological principle for signal integration. These complexes and their allosteric receptor–receptor interactions are bidirectional and novel targets for treatment of CNS diseases including mental diseases. The existence of D2R-5-HT2AR heterocomplexes can help explain the anti-schizophrenic effects of atypical antipsychotic drugs not only based on blockade of 5-HT2AR and of D2R in higher doses but also based on blocking the allosteric enhancement of D2R protomer signaling by 5-HT2AR protomer activation. This research opens a new understanding of the integration of DA and 5-HT signals released from DA and 5-HT nerve terminal networks. The biological principle of forming 5-HT and other heteroreceptor complexes in the brain also help understand the mechanism of action for especially the 5-HT hallucinogens, including putative positive effects of e.g., psilocybin and the indicated prosocial and anti-stress actions of MDMA (ecstasy). The GalR1-GalR2 heterodimer and the putative GalR1-GalR2-5-HT1 heteroreceptor complexes are targets for Galanin N-terminal fragment Gal (1–15), a major modulator of emotional networks in models of mental disease. GPCR-receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) heteroreceptor complexes can operate through transactivation of FGFR1 via allosteric mechanisms and indirect interactions over GPCR intracellular pathways involving protein kinase Src which produces tyrosine phosphorylation of the RTK. The exciting discovery was made that several antidepressant drugs such as TCAs and SSRIs as well as the fast-acting antidepressant drug ketamine can directly bind to the TrkB receptor and provide a novel mechanism for their antidepressant actions. Understanding the role of astrocytes and their allosteric receptor–receptor interactions in modulating forebrain glutamate synapses with impact on dorsal raphe-forebrain serotonin neurons is also of high relevance for research on major depressive disorder.
The Role of Immunotherapy in a Tolerogenic Environment: Current and Future Perspectives for Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Montella Liliana , Sarno Federica , Ambrosino Annamaria , Facchini Sergio , D’Antò Maria , Laterza Maria Maddalena , Fasano Morena , Quarata Ermelinda , Ranucci Raffaele Angelo Nicola , Altucci Lucia , Berretta Massimiliano , Facchini Gaetano
Published: July 2021

In contrast to several tumors whose prognoses are radically affected by novel immunotherapeutic approaches and/or targeted therapies, the outcomes of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain poor. The underlying cirrhosis that is frequently associated with it complicates medical treatment and often determines survival. The landscape of HCC treatment had included sorafenib as the only drug available for ten years, until 2018, when lenvatinib was approved for treatment. The second-line systemic treatments available for hepatocellular carcinoma include regorafenib, cabozantinib, ramucirumab, and, more recently, immune checkpoint inhibitors. However, the median survival remains below 15 months. The results obtained in clinics should be interpreted whilst considering the peculiar role of the liver as an immune organ. A healthy liver microenvironment ordinarily experiences stimulation by gut-derived antigens. This setup elucidates the response to chronic inflammation and the altered balance between tolerance and immune response in HCC development. This paper provides an overview of the mechanisms involved in HCC pathogenesis, with a special focus on the immune implications, along with current and future clinical perspectives.
Ionic Liquid-Based Quartz Crystal Microbalance Sensors for Organic Vapors: A Tutorial Review
Authors: Regmi Bishnu P. , Adhikari Puspa L. , Dangi Beni B.
Published: July 2021

Organic vapor sensors are used in diverse applications ranging from environmental monitoring to biomedical diagnostics. Among a number of these sensors, quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensors prepared by coating ionic liquids (ILs) or their composites are promising devices for the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in complex chemical mixtures. Ionic liquids are remarkable materials, which exhibit tunable physico-chemical properties, chemical and thermal stability, multiple interactions with diverse group of molecules, and enormous structural variability. Moreover, ILs exhibit viscoelastic properties, and hence these materials are ideal for creation of QCM virtual sensor arrays. While the scientific literature on IL-coated QCM sensors is rapidly growing, there is still much to learn. This manuscript provides a comprehensive review on the development of IL-coated QCM sensors and multi-sensor arrays as well as their applications for the analysis of VOCs in complex mixtures. Furthermore, IL-coated QCM virtual sensor arrays and their applications are presented. A short overview of some of the QCM designs, future research areas, and recommendations are also discussed. This short review is a necessary first step towards standardization and further development of QCM for the analysis of VOCs.
Intelligent Life Prediction of Thermal Barrier Coating for Aero Engine Blades
Authors: Gao Ruipeng , Mao Wei , Wang Yiran , Fan Shanshan , Shao Wei
Published: July 2021

The existing methods for thermal barrier coating (TBC) life prediction rely mainly on experience and formula derivation and are inefficient and inaccurate. By introducing deep learning into TBC life analyses, a convolutional neural network (CNN) is used to extract the TBC interface morphology and analyze its life information, which can achieve a high-efficiency accurate judgment of the TBC life. In this thesis, an Adap–Alex algorithm is proposed to overcome the problems related to the large training time, over-fitting, and low accuracy in the existing CNN training of TBC images with complex tissue morphologies. The method adjusts the receptive field size, stride length, and other parameter settings and combines training epochs with a sigmoid function to realize adaptive pooling. TBC data are obtained by thermal vibration experiments, a TBC dataset is constructed, and then the Adap–Alex algorithm is used to analyze the generated TBC dataset. The average training time of the Adap–Alex method is significantly smaller than those of VGG-Net and Alex-Net by 125 and 685 s, respectively. For a fixed number of thermal vibrations, the test accuracy of the Adap–Alex algorithm is higher than those of Alex-Net and VGG-Net, which facilitates the TBC identification. When the number of thermal vibrations is 300, the accuracy reaches 93%, and the performance is highest.
Laboratory Diagnosis of Porphyria
Authors: Di Pierro Elena , De Canio Michele , Mercadante Rosa , Savino Maria , Granata Francesca , Tavazzi Dario , Nicolli Anna Maria , Trevisan Andrea , Marchini Stefano , Fustinoni Silvia
Published: July 2021

Porphyrias are a group of diseases that are clinically and genetically heterogeneous and originate mostly from inherited dysfunctions of specific enzymes involved in heme biosynthesis. Such dysfunctions result in the excessive production and excretion of the intermediates of the heme biosynthesis pathway in the blood, urine, or feces, and these intermediates are responsible for specific clinical presentations. Porphyrias continue to be underdiagnosed, although laboratory diagnosis based on the measurement of metabolites could be utilized to support clinical suspicion in all symptomatic patients. Moreover, the measurement of enzymatic activities along with a molecular analysis may confirm the diagnosis and are, therefore, crucial for identifying pre-symptomatic carriers. The present review provides an overview of the laboratory assays used most commonly for establishing the diagnosis of porphyria. This would assist the clinicians in prescribing appropriate diagnostic testing and interpreting the testing results.
Diagnosis of Mucopolysaccharidoses and Mucolipidosis by Assaying Multiplex Enzymes and Glycosaminoglycans
Authors: Arunkumar Nivethitha , Vu Dung Chi , Khan Shaukat , Kobayashi Hironori , Ngoc Can Thi Bich , Oguni Tsubasa , Watanabe Jun , Tanaka Misa , Yamaguchi Seiji , Taketani Takeshi , Ago Yasuhiko , Ohnishi Hidenori , Saikia Sampurna , Álvarez José V. , Tomatsu Shunji
Published: July 2021

Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) and mucolipidosis (ML II/III) are a group of lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) that occur due to a dysfunction of the lysosomal hydrolases responsible for the catabolism of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). However, ML is caused by a deficiency of the enzyme uridine-diphosphate N-acetylglucosamine:lysosomal-enzyme-N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphotransferase (GlcNAc-1-phosphotransferase, EC2.7.8.17), which tags lysosomal enzymes with a mannose 6-phosphate (M6P) marker for transport to the lysosome. A timely diagnosis of MPS and ML can lead to appropriate therapeutic options for patients. To improve the accuracy of diagnosis for MPS and ML in a high-risk population, we propose a combination method based on known biomarkers, enzyme activities, and specific GAGs. We measured five lysosomal enzymes (α-L-iduronidase (MPS I), iduronate-2-sulfatase (MPS II), α-N-acetylglucosaminidase (MPS IIIB), N-acetylglucosamine-6-sulfatase (MPS IVA), and N-acetylglucosamine-4-sulfatase (MPS VI)) and five GAGs (two kinds of heparan sulfate (HS), dermatan sulfate (DS), and two kinds of keratan sulfate (KS)) in dried blood samples (DBS) to diagnose suspected MPS patients by five-plex enzyme and simultaneous five GAGs assays. We used liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for both assays. These combined assays were tested for 43 patients with suspected MPS and 103 normal control subjects. We diagnosed two MPS I, thirteen MPS II, one MPS IIIB, three MPS IVA, two MPS VI, and six ML patients with this combined method, where enzymes, GAGs, and clinical manifestations were compatible. The remaining 16 patients were not diagnosed with MPS or ML. The five-plex enzyme assay successfully identified MPS patients from controls. Patients with MPS I, MPS II, and MPS IIIB had significantly elevated HS and DS levels in DBS. Compared to age-matched controls, patients with ML and MPS had significantly elevated mono-sulfated KS and di-sulfated KS levels. The results indicated that the combination method could distinguish these affected patients with MPS or ML from healthy controls. Overall, this study has shown that this combined method is effective and can be implemented in larger populations, including newborn screening.
Evaluation of Gait Pattern and Lower Extremity Kinematics of Children with Morquio Syndrome (MPS IV)
Authors: Salazar-Torres Jose J. , Church Chris , Shields Thomas , Shrader M. Wade , Fisher Lydia , Mackenzie William G. , Mackenzie W. G. Stuart
Published: July 2021

Morquio syndrome (mucopolysaccharidosis IV/MPS IV) is a genetic disorder leading to skeletal abnormalities and gait deviations. Research on the gait patterns and lower extremity physical characteristics associated with skeletal dysplasia in children with MPS IV is currently limited. This research aimed to provide baseline gait patterns and lower limb skeletal alignment of children with MPS IV utilizing three-dimensional instrumented gait analysis. This Institutional Review Board-approved retrospective study evaluates the kinematics of the lower extremities of children with MPS IV during gait, comparing them with an age-matched group of typically developing children. Thirty-three children with MPS IV were included (8.6 ± 4.0 years old). Children with MPS IV walk with increased anterior pelvic tilt, knee valgus, knee flexion, external tibial torsion, and reduced walking speed and stride length (p < 0.001). Multiplanar abnormal alignment results in abnormal knee moments (p < 0.001). Limited correlations exist (r = 0.69–0.28) between dynamic three-dimensional measurements of knee varus/valgus and rotational alignment and traditional static two-dimensional measures (physical examination or radiographs) suggesting the possibility of knee instability during gait and the benefits of dynamic assessment.
Design of a 94 GHz Millimeter-Wave Four-Way Power Combiner Based on Circular Waveguide Structure
Authors: Tu Siyu , Liu Jinsong , Wang Tianyi , Yang Zhengang , Wang Kejia
Published: July 2021

This paper introduces a four-way power combiner operating in the 94 GHz millimeter-wave based on spatial power combining technology. The four millimeter-waves with Gaussian beams are combined in the waveguide, increasing the output power. The combiner is composed of five circular waveguides connected by four long and narrow coupling slots. Four sub-waveguides are separately connected to four input ports and one main waveguide is connected to a common output port. The TE11-mode is used as the input mode, which has two vertical and horizontal polarization directions. Four sub-waveguides are respectively input corresponding to polarization directions TE11-wave with Gaussian beams. The power of TE11-wave is transmitted to the main waveguide by the coupling slots, combined in the main waveguide, and output with the common port. We analyze the combiner and verify the availability of the design structure by numerical stimulation with CST MWS (Microwave Studio) software. The power-combining efficiency can be over 97%, and the output beams remain Gaussian beams with nearly fourfold increased power. The proposed model provides technological approaches for power combiner application in millimeter-wave.
Through the Eye of a Needle: An Eco-Heterodox Perspective on the Renewable Energy Transition
Authors: Seibert Megan , Rees William
Published: July 2021

We add to the emerging body of literature highlighting cracks in the foundation of the mainstream energy transition narrative. We offer a tripartite analysis that re-characterizes the climate crisis within its broader context of ecological overshoot, highlights numerous collectively fatal problems with so-called renewable energy technologies, and suggests alternative solutions that entail a contraction of the human enterprise. This analysis makes clear that the pat notion of “affordable clean energy” views the world through a narrow keyhole that is blind to innumerable economic, ecological, and social costs. These undesirable “externalities” can no longer be ignored. To achieve sustainability and salvage civilization, society must embark on a planned, cooperative descent from an extreme state of overshoot in just a decade or two. While it might be easier for the proverbial camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for global society to succeed in this endeavor, history is replete with stellar achievements that have arisen only from a dogged pursuit of the seemingly impossible.
On Solvability of the Sonin–Abel Equation in the Weighted Lebesgue Space
Authors: Kukushkin Maksim V.
Published: July 2021

In this paper we present a method of studying a convolution operator under the Sonin conditions imposed on the kernel. The particular case of the Sonin kernel is a kernel of the fractional integral Riemman–Liouville operator, other various types of the Sonin kernels are a Bessel-type function, functions with power-logarithmic singularities at the origin e.t.c. We pay special attention to study kernels close to power type functions. The main our aim is to study the Sonin–Abel equation in the weighted Lebesgue space, the used method allows us to formulate a criterion of existence and uniqueness of the solution and classify a solution, due to the asymptotics of the Jacobi series coefficients of the right-hand side.
A Rapid and Cost-Effective Identification of Invertebrate Pests at the Borders Using MinION Sequencing of DNA Barcodes
Authors: Abeynayake Shamila Weerakoon , Fiorito Sonia , Dinsdale Adrian , Whattam Mark , Crowe Bill , Sparks Kate , Campbell Paul Richard , Gambley Cherie
Published: July 2021

The rapid and accurate identification of invertebrate pests detected at the border is a challenging task. Current diagnostic methods used at the borders are mainly based on time consuming visual and microscopic examinations. Here, we demonstrate a rapid in-house workflow for DNA extraction, PCR amplification of the barcode region of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) MinION sequencing of amplified products multiplexed after barcoding on ONT Flongle flow cells. A side-by-side comparison was conducted of DNA barcode sequencing-based identification and morphological identification of both large (>0.5 mm in length) and small (<0.5 mm in length) invertebrate specimens intercepted at the Australian border. DNA barcode sequencing results supported the morphological identification in most cases and enabled immature stages of invertebrates and their eggs to be identified more confidently. Results also showed that sequencing the COI barcode region using the ONT rapid sequencing principle is a cost-effective and field-adaptable approach for the rapid and accurate identification of invertebrate pests. Overall, the results suggest that MinION sequencing of DNA barcodes offers a complementary tool to the existing morphological diagnostic approaches and provides rapid, accurate, reliable and defendable evidence for identifying invertebrate pests at the border.
Care Strategies for Reducing Hospital Readmissions Using Stochastic Programming
Authors: Lahijanian Behshad , Alvarado Michelle
Published: July 2021

A hospital readmission occurs when a patient has an unplanned admission to a hospital within a specific time period of discharge from an earlier or initial hospital stay. Preventable readmissions have turned into a critical challenge for the healthcare system globally, and hospitals seek care strategies that reduce the readmission burden. Some countries have developed hospital readmission reduction policies, and in some cases, these policies impose financial penalties for hospitals with high readmission rates. Decision models are needed to help hospitals identify care strategies that avoid financial penalties, yet maintain balance among quality of care, the cost of care, and the hospital’s readmission reduction goals. We develop a multi-condition care strategy model to help hospitals prioritize treatment plans and allocate resources. The stochastic programming model has probabilistic constraints to control the expected readmission probability for a set of patients. The model determines which care strategies will be the most cost-effective and the extent to which resources should be allocated to those initiatives to reach the desired readmission reduction targets and maintain high quality of care. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to explore the value of the model for low- and high-performing hospitals and multiple health conditions. Model outputs are valuable to hospitals as they examine the expected cost of hitting its target and the expected improvement to its readmission rates.
Casomorphins and Gliadorphins Have Diverse Systemic Effects Spanning Gut, Brain and Internal Organs
Authors: Woodford Keith Bernard
Published: July 2021

Food-derived opioid peptides include digestive products derived from cereal and dairy diets. If these opioid peptides breach the intestinal barrier, typically linked to permeability and constrained biosynthesis of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4), they can attach to opioid receptors. The widespread presence of opioid receptors spanning gut, brain, and internal organs is fundamental to the diverse and systemic effects of food-derived opioids, with effects being evidential across many health conditions. However, manifestation delays following low-intensity long-term exposure create major challenges for clinical trials. Accordingly, it has been easiest to demonstrate causal relationships in digestion-based research where some impacts occur rapidly. Within this environment, the role of the microbiome is evidential but challenging to further elucidate, with microbiome effects ranging across gut-condition indicators and modulators, and potentially as systemic causal factors. Elucidation requires a systemic framework that acknowledges that public-health effects of food-derived opioids are complex with varying genetic susceptibility and confounding factors, together with system-wide interactions and feedbacks. The specific role of the microbiome within this puzzle remains a medical frontier. The easiest albeit challenging nutritional strategy to modify risk is reduced intake of foods containing embedded opioids. In future, constituent modification within specific foods to reduce embedded opioids may become feasible.
Multi-Scenario Prediction of Intra-Urban Land Use Change Using a Cellular Automata-Random Forest Model
Authors: Liu Hang , Homma Riken , Liu Qiang , Fang Congying
Published: July 2021

The simulation of future land use can provide decision support for urban planners and decision makers, which is important for sustainable urban development. Using a cellular automata-random forest model, we considered two scenarios to predict intra-land use changes in Kumamoto City from 2018 to 2030: an unconstrained development scenario, and a planning-constrained development scenario that considers disaster-related factors. The random forest was used to calculate the transition probabilities and the importance of driving factors, and cellular automata were used for future land use prediction. The results show that disaster-related factors greatly influence land vacancy, while urban planning factors are more important for medium high-rise residential, commercial, and public facilities. Under the unconstrained development scenario, urban land use tends towards spatially disordered growth in the total amount of steady growth, with the largest increase in low-rise residential areas. Under the planning-constrained development scenario that considers disaster-related factors, the urban land area will continue to grow, albeit slowly and with a compact growth trend. This study provides planners with information on the relevant trends in different scenarios of land use change in Kumamoto City. Furthermore, it provides a reference for Kumamoto City’s future post-disaster recovery and reconstruction planning.
Using Prospective Methods to Identify Fieldwork Locations Favourable to Understanding Divergences in Health Care Accessibility
Authors: Rød Jan Ketil , Eide Arne H. , Halvorsen Thomas , Munthali Alister
Published: July 2021

Central to this article is the issue of choosing sites for where a fieldwork could provide a better understanding of divergences in health care accessibility. Access to health care is critical to good health, but inhabitants may experience barriers to health care limiting their ability to obtain the care they need. Most inhabitants of low-income countries need to walk long distances along meandering paths to get to health care services. Individuals in Malawi responded to a survey with a battery of questions on perceived difficulties in accessing health care services. Using both vertical and horizontal impedance, we modelled walking time between household locations for the individuals in our sample and the health care centres they were using. The digital elevation model and Tobler’s hiking function were used to represent vertical impedance, while OpenStreetMap integrated with land cover map were used to represent horizontal impedance. Combining measures of walking time and perceived accessibility in Malawi, we used spatial statistics and found spatial clusters with substantial discrepancies in health care accessibility, which represented fieldwork locations favourable for providing a better understanding of barriers to health access.
Self-Calibration Spherical Video Stabilization Based on Gyroscope
Authors: Ren Zhengwei , Fang Ming , Chen Chunyi
Published: July 2021

With the development of handheld video capturing devices, video stabilization becomes increasingly important. The gyroscope-based video stabilization methods perform promising ability, since they can return more reliable three-dimensional (3D) camera rotation estimation, especially when there are many moving objects in scenes or there are serious motion blur or illumination changes. However, the gyroscope-based methods depend on the camera intrinsic parameters to execute video stabilization. Therefore, a self-calibrated spherical video stabilization method was proposed. It builds a virtual sphere, of which the spherical radius is calibrated automatically, and then projects each frame of the video to the sphere. Through the inverse rotation of the spherical image according to the rotation jitter component, the dependence on the camera intrinsic parameters is relaxed. The experimental results showed that the proposed method does not need to calibrate the camera and it can suppress the camera jitter by binding the gyroscope on the camera. Moreover, compared with other state-of-the-art methods, the proposed method can improve the peak signal-to-noise ratio, the structural similarity metric, the cropping ratio, the distortion score, and the stability score.
Fashion Recommendation Systems, Models and Methods: A Review
Authors: Chakraborty Samit , Hoque Md. Saiful , Rahman Jeem Naimur , Biswas Manik Chandra , Bardhan Deepayan , Lobaton Edgar
Published: July 2021

In recent years, the textile and fashion industries have witnessed an enormous amount of growth in fast fashion. On e-commerce platforms, where numerous choices are available, an efficient recommendation system is required to sort, order, and efficiently convey relevant product content or information to users. Image-based fashion recommendation systems (FRSs) have attracted a huge amount of attention from fast fashion retailers as they provide a personalized shopping experience to consumers. With the technological advancements, this branch of artificial intelligence exhibits a tremendous amount of potential in image processing, parsing, classification, and segmentation. Despite its huge potential, the number of academic articles on this topic is limited. The available studies do not provide a rigorous review of fashion recommendation systems and the corresponding filtering techniques. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first scholarly article to review the state-of-the-art fashion recommendation systems and the corresponding filtering techniques. In addition, this review also explores various potential models that could be implemented to develop fashion recommendation systems in the future. This paper will help researchers, academics, and practitioners who are interested in machine learning, computer vision, and fashion retailing to understand the characteristics of the different fashion recommendation systems.
Optimizing Laboratory Rearing of a Key Pollinator, Bombus impatiens
Authors: Treanore Erin , Barie Katherine , Derstine Nathan , Gadebusch Kaitlin , Orlova Margarita , Porter Monique , Purnell Frederick , Amsalem Etya
Published: July 2021

Bumble bees are key pollinators for wild and managed plants and serve as a model system in various research fields, largely due to their commercial availability. Despite their extensive use, laboratory rearing of bumble bees is often challenging, particularly during the solitary phase queens undergo before founding a colony. Using a literature survey, we demonstrate that most studies rely on commercially available species that are provided during the colony’s social phase, limiting study on early phases of the life cycle and the ability to control for colony age and relatedness. Laboratory rearing is challenging since the queen solitary phase is less understood compared to the social phase. To overcome this barrier, we examined several aspects related to the queen solitary phase: the effect of age on likelihood of mating, how the timing of CO2 narcosis post-mating (a technique to bypass diapause) affects egg-laying, and whether different social cues affect the success of colony initiation. Our data show an optimum age for mating in both sexuals and decreased egg-laying latency in the presence of workers and pupae. The timing of CO2 narcosis did not significantly affect egg laying in queens. These findings can be incorporated to improve bumble bee rearing for research purposes.
The Cotton Mealybug Is Spreading along the Mediterranean: First Pest Detection in Italian Tomatoes
Authors: Ricupero Michele , Biondi Antonio , Russo Agatino , Zappalà Lucia , Mazzeo Gaetana
Published: July 2021

The cotton mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) is an extremely polyphagous invasive pest that can cause serious damages to cultivated plants. The pest is native to America but invaded Asian and Mediterranean countries during the last decades. Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill., Solanaceae) is an economic relevant crop worldwide and its production can be threatened by numerous insect pests including P. solenopsis. We recorded for the first time P. solenopsis in association with tomato in greenhouse crops and urban landscapes in Sicily (Italy) during the fall season in 2020. The species was identified as P. solenopsis based on the morphological characters and DNA amplification of an ≈800 bp portion of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (mtCOI) gene. The phylogenetic analysis among the obtained P. solenopsis mtCOI sequences with those already available in GenBank suggests Asian countries as a potential source of new introduction. This is the first record of P. solenopsis attacking tomato plants in Italy and may represent a potential threat for tomato production in Europe and nearby countries. For this reason, actions should be taken to avoid the uncontrolled spread of this alien species.
Prevention of the Onset of Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Authors: Di Carlo Emiliano , Augustin Albert J.
Published: July 2021

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) represents the leading cause of irreversible blindness in elderly people, mostly after the age of 65. The progressive deterioration of visual function in patients affected by AMD has a significant impact on quality of life and has also high social costs. The current therapeutic options are only partially able to slow down the natural course of the disease, without being capable of stopping its progression. Therefore, better understanding of the possibilities to prevent the onset of the disease is needed. In this regard, a central role is played by the identification of risk factors, which might participate to the development of the disease. Among these, the most researched are dietary risk factors, lifestyle, and light exposure. Many studies showed that a higher dietary intake of nutrients, such as lutein, zeaxanthin, beta carotene, omega-3 fatty acids and zinc, reduced the risk of early AMD. Regarding lifestyle habits, the association between smoking and AMD is currently accepted. Finally, retinal damage caused by ultraviolet rays and blue light is also worthy of attention. The scope of this review is to summarize the present knowledge focusing on the measures to adopt in order to prevent the onset of AMD.
Non-Invasive Neurostimulation Methods for Acute and Preventive Migraine Treatment—A Narrative Review
Authors: Evers Stefan
Published: July 2021

Neurostimulation methods have now been studied for more than 20 years in migraine treatment. They can be divided into invasive and non-invasive methods. In this narrative review, the non-invasive methods are presented. The most commonly studied and used methods are vagal nerve stimulation, electric peripheral nerve stimulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and transcranial direct current stimulation. Other stimulation techniques, including mechanical stimulation, play only a minor role. Nearly all methods have been studied for acute attack treatment and for the prophylactic treatment of migraine. The evidence of efficacy is poor for most procedures, since no stimulation device is based on consistently positive, blinded, controlled trials with a sufficient number of patients. In addition, most studies on these devices enrolled patients who did not respond sufficiently to oral drug treatment, and so the role of neurostimulation in an average population of migraine patients is unknown. In the future, it is very important to conduct large, properly blinded and controlled trials performed by independent researchers. Otherwise, neurostimulation methods will only play a very minor role in the treatment of migraine.
Optimization of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) Time Definitions Using the Electronic Health Record: A First Step in Automating In-Hospital AKI Detection
Authors: Swan Joshua T. , Moore Linda W. , Sparrow Harlan G. , Frost Adaani E. , Gaber A. Osama , Suki Wadi N.
Published: July 2021

Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) acute kidney injury (AKI) definitions were evaluated for cases detected and their respective outcomes using expanded time windows to 168 h. AKI incidence and outcomes with expanded time intervals were identified in the electronic health records (EHRs) from 126,367 unique adult hospital admissions (2012–2014) and evaluated using multivariable logistic regression with bootstrap sampling. The incidence of AKI detected was 7.4% (n = 9357) using a 24-h time window for both serum creatinine (SCr) criterion 1a (≥0.30 mg/dL) and 1b (≥50%) increases from index SCr, with additional cases of AKI identified: 6963 from 24–48 h.; 2509 for criterion 1b from 48 h to 7 days; 3004 cases (expansion of criterion 1a and 1b from 48 to 168 h). Compared to patients without AKI, adjusted hospital days increased if AKI (criterion 1a and 1b) was observed using a 24-h observation window (5.5 days), 48-h expansion (3.4 days), 48-h to 7-day expansion (6.5 days), and 168-h expansion (3.9 days); all are p < 0.001. Similarly, the adjusted risk of in-hospital death increased if AKI was detected using a 24-h observation window (odds ratio (OR) = 16.9), 48-h expansion (OR = 5.5), 48-h to 7-day expansion (OR = 4.2), and 168-h expansion (OR = 1.6); all are p ≤ 0.01. Expanding the time windows for both AKI SCr criteria 1a and 1b standardizes and facilitates EHR AKI detection, while identifying additional clinically relevant cases of in-hospital AKI.
Breast Silicone Gel Implants versus Autologous Fat Grafting: Biomaterials and Bioactive Materials in Comparison
Authors: Gentile Pietro
Published: July 2021

In the last 20 years, surgical procedures in breast remodeling during mammoplasty have been deeply modified with a gradual shifting from an invasive intervention using definitive implants (DIs) to a more conservative autologous fat grafting (AFG). AFG has been used for many years as bioactive material through the Lipofilling technique and as a bioactive scaffold when it was enriched with adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs), while DIs have been considered physiologically inert biomaterials with low toxicity. The paper aimed to compare the breast remodeling results obtained in the DI group (55 patients) for hypoplasia correction with those of the ASC-enhanced AFG group (50 patients), also analyzing the influence of breast and chest deformities (tuberous breast, volume, and nipple–areola complex asymmetry, pectus excavatum and carinatum) in the cosmetic outcome. A retrospective, case-control study was conducted. The pre-operative analysis was performed with an accurate clinical evaluation, a photographic assessment, and an instrumental evaluation based on magnetic resonance imaging, mammography, and ultrasound. Of patients treated with DIs 89% (n = 49) showed excellent cosmetic results after 1 year compared with the patients treated with AFG, who showed the same results in 64% (n = 32) of cases. The naturalness of the results in the AFG group was higher than that in the DI group (p < 0.0001 vs. DI group). DIs and AFG were safe and effective in this case series treated. The AFG group showed more natural results, allowing the treatment of patients with pectus excavatum, while DIs showed the more evident and lasting result.
Correction: Palanisamy et al. Shielded Active Gas Forge Welding of an L80 Steel in a Small Scale Shielded Active Gas Forge Welding Machine. J. Manuf. Mater. Process. 2021, 5, 16
Authors: Palanisamy Vinothkumar , Solberg Jan Ketil , Moe Per Thomas
Published: July 2021

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...]
Digital Twins for High-Tech Machining Applications—A Model-Based Analytics-Ready Approach
Authors: Hänel Albrecht , Seidel André , Frieß Uwe , Teicher Uwe , Wiemer Hajo , Wang Dongqian , Wenkler Eric , Penter Lars , Hellmich Arvid , Ihlenfeldt Steffen
Published: July 2021

This paper presents a brief introduction to competition-driven digital transformation in the machining sector. On this basis, the creation of a digital twin for machining processes is approached firstly using a basic digital twin structure. The latter is sub-grouped into information and data models, specific calculation and process models, all seen from an application-oriented perspective. Moreover, digital shadow and digital twin are embedded in this framework, being discussed in the context of a state-of-the-art literature review. The main part of this paper addresses models for machine and path inaccuracies, material removal and tool engagement, cutting force, process stability, thermal behavior, workpiece and surface properties. Furthermore, these models are superimposed towards an integral digital twin. In addition, the overall context is expanded towards an integral software architecture of a digital twin providing information system. The information system, in turn, ties in with existing forward-oriented planning from operational practice, leading to a significant expansion of the initially presented basic structure for a digital twin. Consequently, a time-stratified data layer platform is introduced to prepare for the resulting shadow-twin transformation loop. Finally, subtasks are defined to assure functional interfaces, model integrability and feedback measures.
The Influence of the Growth of the Number of Microbreweries on the Use of Farmland and on the Cultivation of Hops in the Czech Republic: A Case Study
Authors: Severová Lucie , Šrédl Karel , Prášilová Marie , Štěbeták Michal , Svoboda Roman , Hommerová Dita , Kopecká Lenka
Published: July 2021

The purpose of this study is to express the perspective of development of the hop field area in connection with the growing number of microbreweries and the popularity of special beers in Czechia. Czech beer is a concept all over the world, it comes not only from 45 large industrial breweries, including world-famous breweries from Pilsen, Prague or České Budějovice, but is also produced in more than 480 small breweries (microbreweries), many of which are traditional family businesses. With a consumption of 141 L per person in 2018, the Czechs are among the world’s largest beer consumers and they have already surpassed even the Irish and Germans. The research performed confirmed the validity of the hypothesis about a slight positive effect of the growth in the number of microbreweries and the production of special beers on the extent of the hop field area in Czechia. In addition to the interpretation of new beer styles, this article also discusses the emergence of new aromatic hop varieties, the development of beer tourism and new sales opportunities for hop growers.
Land Use and Land Cover Pattern as a Measure of Tourism Impact on a Lakeshore Zone
Authors: Furgała-Selezniow Grażyna , Jankun-Woźnicka Małgorzata , Kruk Marek , Omelan Aneta A.
Published: July 2021

Lakes provide different ecosystem services, including those related to tourism and recreation. Sustainable development principles should be respected in lake tourism planning. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of tourism on the lakeshore zone in a typical post-glacial Lakeland in Northern Poland (Central Europe). An explanatory analysis of the distribution of individual spatial factor values was performed using the SHapley Additive exPlanations algorithm (SHAP). In a first step, the aim was to select a Machine Learning model for modelling based on Shapley values. The greater or lesser influence of a given factor on the tourism function was measured for individual lakes. The final results of ensemble modelling and SHAP were obtained by averaging the results of five random repetitions of the execution of these models. The impact of tourism on the lakeshore zone can be much more accurately determined using an indirect method, by analysing the tourism and recreational infrastructure constantly present there. The values of the indices proposed in the study provide indirect information on the number of tourists using the tourist and recreational facilities and are a measure of the impact of tourism on the lakeshore zone. The developed methodology can be applied to the majority of post-glacial lakes in Europe and other regions of the world in order to monitor the threats resulting from shore zone exploitation. Such studies can be an appropriate tool for management and planning by the relevant authorities.
Steroidal Saponins Isolated from the Rhizome of Dioscorea tokoro Inhibit Cell Growth and Autophagy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells
Authors: Okubo Shinya , Ohta Tomoe , Shoyama Yukihiro , Uto Takuhiro
Published: July 2021

Our preliminary screening identified an extract from the rhizome of Dioscorea tokoro, which strongly suppressed the proliferation of HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells and inhibited autophagy. This study aimed to isolate active compounds from the rhizome of D. tokoro that exert antiproliferative effects and inhibit autophagy. The bioassay-guided fractionation of the active fraction led to the isolation of two spirostan-type steroidal saponins, dioscin (1) and yamogenin 3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl (1→4)-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl(1→2)-β-d-glucopyranoside (2), and the frostane-type steroidal saponin protodioscin (3) from the n-BuOH fraction. Furthermore, acid hydrolysis of 1 and 2 produced the aglycones diosgenin (4) and yamogenin (5), respectively. Compounds 1–5 suppressed proliferation of HepG2 cells. The analysis of structure-activity relationships indicated that the 25(R)-conformation, structures with a sugar moiety, and the spirostan-type aglycone moiety contributed to antiproliferative activity. Analysis of autophagy-related proteins demonstrated that 1–3 clearly increased the levels of both LC3-II and p62, implying that 1–3 deregulate the autophagic pathway by blocking autophagic flux, which results in p62 and LC3-II accumulation. In contrast, 1–3 did not significantly affect caspase-3 activation and PARP cleavage, suggesting that the antiproliferative activity of 1–3 occurred independently of caspase-3-mediated apoptosis. In summary, our study showed that 1–3, active compounds in the rhizome of D. tokoro, suppressed cell proliferation and autophagy, and might be potential agents for autophagy research and cancer chemoprevention.
Platelet APP Processing: Is It a Tool to Explore the Pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s Disease? A Systematic Review
Authors: Carbone Manuel Glauco , Pagni Giovanni , Tagliarini Claudia , Marazziti Donatella , Pomara Nunzio
Published: July 2021

The processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) is a critical event in the formation of amyloid plaques. Platelets contain most of the enzymatic machinery required for APP processing and correlates of intracerebral abnormalities have been demonstrated in platelets of patients with AD. The goal of the present paper was to analyze studies exploring platelet APP metabolism in Alzheimer’s disease patients trying to assess potential reliable peripheral biomarkers, to offer new therapeutic solutions and to understand the pathophysiology of the AD. According to the PRISMA guidelines, we performed a systematic review through the PubMed database up to June 2020 with the search terms: “((((((APP) OR Amyloid Precursor Protein) OR AbetaPP) OR Beta Amyloid) OR Amyloid Beta) OR APP-processing) AND platelet”. Thirty-two studies were included in this systematic review. The papers included are analytic observational studies, namely twenty-nine cross sectional studies and three longitudinal studies, specifically prospective cohort study. The studies converge in an almost unitary way in affirming that subjects with AD show changes in APP processing compared to healthy age-matched controls. However, the problem of the specificity and sensitivity of these biomarkers is still at issue and would deserve to be deepened in future studies.
A Comparison of the Capacity of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells for Cartilage Regeneration Depending on Collagen-Based Injectable Biomimetic Scaffold Type
Authors: Sevastianov Victor I. , Basok Yulia B. , Kirsanova Ludmila A. , Grigoriev Alexey M. , Kirillova Alexandra D. , Nemets Evgeniy A. , Subbot Anastasia M. , Gautier Sergey V.
Published: July 2021

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have shown a high potential for cartilage repair. Collagen-based scaffolds are used to deliver and retain cells at the site of cartilage damage. The aim of the work was a comparative analysis of the capacity of the MSCs from human adipose tissue to differentiate into chondrocytes in vitro and to stimulate the regeneration of articular cartilage in an experimental model of rabbit knee osteoarthrosis when cultured on microheterogenic collagen-based hydrogel (MCH) and the microparticles of decellularized porcine articular cartilage (DPC). The morphology of samples was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy and histological staining methods. On the surface of the DPC, the cells were distributed more uniformly than on the MCH surface. On day 28, the cells cultured on the DPC produced glycosaminoglycans more intensely compared to the MCH with the synthesis of collagen type II. However, in the experimental model of osteoarthrosis, the stimulation of the cartilage regeneration was more effective when the MSCs were administered to the MCH carrier. The present study demonstrates the way to regulate the action of the MSCs in the area of cartilage regeneration: the MCH is more conducive to stimulating cartilage repair by the MSCs, while the DPC is an inducer for a formation of a cartilage-like tissue by the MSCs in vitro.
An Information-Explainable Random Walk Based Unsupervised Network Representation Learning Framework on Node Classification Tasks
Authors: Xu Xin , Lu Yang , Zhou Yupeng , Fu Zhiguo , Fu Yanjie , Yin Minghao
Published: July 2021

Network representation learning aims to learn low-dimensional, compressible, and distributed representational vectors of nodes in networks. Due to the expensive costs of obtaining label information of nodes in networks, many unsupervised network representation learning methods have been proposed, where random walk strategy is one of the wildly utilized approaches. However, the existing random walk based methods have some challenges, including: 1. The insufficiency of explaining what network knowledge in the walking path-samplings; 2. The adverse effects caused by the mixture of different information in networks; 3. The poor generality of the methods with hyper-parameters on different networks. This paper proposes an information-explainable random walk based unsupervised network representation learning framework named Probabilistic Accepted Walk (PAW) to obtain network representation from the perspective of the stationary distribution of networks. In the framework, we design two stationary distributions based on nodes’ self-information and local-information of networks to guide our proposed random walk strategy to learn representational vectors of networks through sampling paths of nodes. Numerous experimental results demonstrated that the PAW could obtain more expressive representation than the other six widely used unsupervised network representation learning baselines on four real-world networks in single-label and multi-label node classification tasks.