bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and Characteristics of Chronic Pain in Buprenorphine and Methadone-Maintained Patients
Authors: Delorme Jessica , Pennel Lucie , Brousse Georges , Daulouède Jean-Pierre , Delile Jean-Michel , Lack Philippe , Gérard Antoine , Dematteis Maurice , Kabore Jean-Luc , Authier Nicolas , Chenaf Chouki ,   TOXIDOL Study group
Published: April 2021

Chronic pain and substance use disorders frequently co-occur. Indeed, chronic pain is highly prevalent, affecting 23–68% of patients receiving opioid agonist treatments (OAT) worldwide. The majority of available estimates come from American studies, but data are still lacking in Europe. We aim to provide European estimates of the prevalence of chronic pain in patients receiving OAT using French data, since France is the first European country in terms of number of patients with OAT. The secondary objectives were to characterize the features and management of chronic pain, as well identify associated risk factors. We conducted a multicenter, cross-sectional study, recruiting patients treated either with buprenorphine or methadone in 19 French addiction centers, from May to July 2016. All participants had to complete a semi-directed questionnaire that collected sociodemographic and medical data, pain characteristics, and licit or illicit drug consumption. In total, 509 patients were included. The prevalence of chronic pain was estimated at 33.2% (95% CI: 29.1–37.3). Compared to non-chronic pain patients, chronic pain patients were older (38.4 vs. 36.1 years, p = 0.006), were more unemployed (66 vs. 52%, p = 0.003), had more psychiatric comorbidities (50 vs. 39%, p = 0.02), and split their OAT for pain management more frequently (24 vs. 7%, p = 0.009). Pain intensity was moderate or severe in 75% of chronic pain patients. Among patients with chronic pain, 15.4% were not prescribed, and did not self-medicate with, any analgesic drugs, 52.1% were prescribed analgesics (non-opioid analgesics, 76.3%; codeine, tramadol, opium, 27.2%; and morphine, fentanyl, oxycodone, 11.8%), and 32.5% exclusively self-medicated with analgesics. Moreover, 20.1% of patients with chronic pain also used illicit drugs for pain relief. On multivariate analysis, variables that remained significantly associated with chronic pain were age [OR = 1.03 (95% CI: 1.00–1.05], p = 0.02], anxiety [OR = 1.52 (1.15–2.02), p = 0.003], and depression [OR = 1.25 (1.00–1.55), p = 0.05]. Chronic pain is a highly prevalent condition in patients receiving OAT, and its appropriate management remains uncertain, since insufficient relief and frequent additional self-medications with analgesics or illicit drugs were reported by these patients. Increased awareness among caregivers is urgently needed regarding a systematic and careful assessment, along with an adequate management of chronic pain in patients receiving OAT.
Bringing Policymakers to Science Through Communication: A Perspective From Latin America
Authors: Pulido-Salgado Marta , Castaneda Mena Fátima Antonethe
Published: April 2021

Scientific knowledge should be shared beyond academic circles in order to promote science in policymaking. Science communication increases the understanding of how the natural world works and the capacity to make informed decisions. However, not every researcher has the ability to master the art of communicating, and even less in a clear, concise, and easy to understand language that society representatives appreciate. Within the huge and extraordinarily diverse Latin American region, science communication has been going on for at least 200 years, when the first science stories appeared in the newspapers, as well as the first science museums and botanical gardens were founded. Nevertheless, resources are limited, and notably time, which researchers spend mostly in mentoring, ensuring funding, publication of their results and laboratory work, while science journalists are an endangered species. This perspective article aims at providing some recommendations to build bridges between science and decision-making parties through communication, by exploring how Latin American diplomats and policymakers engage with scientific knowledge.
System Economic Costs of Antibiotic Use Elimination in the US Beef Supply Chain
Authors: Kaniyamattam Karun , Tauer Loren W. , Gröhn Yrjö T.
Published: April 2021

There is consumer pressure on the US beef cattle industry to minimize antibiotic use (ABU) in order to aid in the global antimicrobial resistance mitigation efforts. Our objective was to estimate the economic costs of ABU constraints in a conceptual US integrated beef supply chain (IBSC) to aid the beef industry in mitigating the ever-increasing risk of antimicrobial resistance, by reducing their ABU. An IBSC network model was developed and differentiated into 37 different nodes of production. Each node could only raise a specific type of animals, differentiated based on the production technique and animal health status. The cost, as well as the weight gain coefficient, was estimated for each node, using an IBSC cost of production model. Linear programming solutions to this network model provided the least cost path of beef supply through the system, under various ABU constraints. The cost as well as weight gain coefficient of the 37 nodes, initial supply of 28.5 million calves weighing 0.65 million metric tons, and final demand of 16.14 million metric tons of slaughter-ready fed cattle were used as inputs/constraints to the three different linear programming scenarios, with different ABU constraints. Our first scenario, which placed no constraint on ABU, estimated that the minimum total economic cost to meet the final beef demand was $38.6 billion. The optimal solution was to use only the high health status calves for beef production. Because low health calves occur in the beef system, our second scenario required all the calves irrespective of their health status to be used, which increased the system cost to $41.5 billion. Thus, the value of only producing high health status calves is $2.9 billion. Our third scenario, which restricted feedlots from using antibiotics even for low health calves, incurred a total cost of $41.9 billion for antibiotic-free beef production. We concluded that the additional cost of $367 million for implementing antibiotic-free beef production is relatively low, ~0.90% of the minimum cost incurred for the conventional beef supply chain (model 2 cost of $41.5 billion). However, a much higher cost savings is obtained by producing only high health status calves.
Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Different Parts of Taenia Hydatigena
Authors: Cai Mengting , Li Yating , He Guitian , Guo Xiaola , Zhang Shaohua , Yan Lujun , Zhang Jing , Ding Juntao
Published: April 2021

Taenia hydatigena, a globally distributed parasite, is a canine tapeworm and causes huge economic losses in the food industry. Using LC-MS/MS, the proteomes of T. hydatigena cyst scolex, designated as CS, and the cyst without the scolex, designated as CWS, were profiled and a total of 764 different proteins were identified, 664 of which were identified in CS, 412 identified in CWS, and 312 in both. Comparative analysis revealed that CS had more abundant proteins associated with growth and development, while CWS had more abundant proteins constituting a scaffolding and protective extracellular matrix. Consistent with the sequencing data, the abundance of the five selected proteins was validated to be higher in CWS than CS by Western blotting. The current data will provide a clue for further pinpointing a role of these proteins in the biology of T. hydatigena.
Three-Dimensional Live Imaging of Bovine Preimplantation Embryos: A New Method for IVF Embryo Evaluation
Authors: Masuda Yasumitsu , Hasebe Ryo , Kuromi Yasushi , Kobayashi Masayoshi , Urataki Kanako , Hishinuma Mitsugu , Ohbayashi Tetsuya , Nishimura Ryo
Published: April 2021

Conception rates for transferred bovine embryos are lower than those for artificial insemination. Embryo transfer (ET) is widely used in cattle but many of the transferred embryos fail to develop, thus, a more effective method for selecting bovine embryos suitable for ET is required. To evaluate the developmental potential of bovine preimplantation embryos (2-cell stage embryos and blastocysts), we have used the non-invasive method of optical coherence tomography (OCT) to obtain live images. The images were used to evaluate 22 parameters of blastocysts, such as the volume of the inner cell mass and the thicknesses of the trophectoderm (TE). Bovine embryos were obtained by in vitro fertilization (IVF) of the cumulus-oocyte complexes aspirated by ovum pick-up from Japanese Black cattle. The quality of the blastocysts was examined under an inverted microscope and all were confirmed to be Code1 according to the International Embryo Transfer Society standards for embryo evaluation. The OCT images of embryos were taken at the 2-cell and blastocyst stages prior to the transfer. In OCT, the embryos were irradiated with near-infrared light for a few minutes to capture three-dimensional images. Nuclei of the 2-cell stage embryos were clearly observed by OCT, and polynuclear cells at the 2-cell stage were also clearly found. With OCT, we were able to observe embryos at the blastocyst stage and evaluate their parameters. The conception rate following OCT (15/30; 50%) is typical for ETs and no newborn calves showed neonatal overgrowth or died, indicating that the OCT did not adversely affect the ET. A principal components analysis was unable to identify the parameters associated with successful pregnancy, while by using hierarchical clustering analysis, TE volume has been suggested to be one of the parameters for the evaluation of bovine embryo. The present results show that OCT imaging can be used to investigate time-dependent changes of IVF embryos. With further improvements, it should be useful for selecting high-quality embryos for transfer.
Blood Pressure Regulation Evolved from Basic Homeostatic Components
Authors: Botzer Alon , Finkelstein Yoram , Unger Ron
Published: April 2021

Blood pressure (BP) is determined by several physiological factors that are regulated by a range of complex neural, endocrine, and paracrine mechanisms. This study examined a collection of 198 human genes related to BP regulation, in the biological processes and functional prisms, as well as gene expression in organs and tissues. This was made in conjunction with an orthology analysis performed in 19 target organisms along the phylogenetic tree. We have demonstrated that transport and signaling, as well as homeostasis in general, are the most prevalent biological processes associated with BP gene orthologs across the examined species. We showed that these genes and their orthologs are expressed primarily in the kidney and adrenals of complex organisms (e.g., high order vertebrates) and in the nervous system of low complexity organisms (e.g., flies, nematodes). Furthermore, we have determined that basic functions such as ion transport are ancient and appear in all organisms, while more complex regulatory functions, such as control of extracellular volume emerged in high order organisms. Thus, we conclude that the complex system of BP regulation evolved from simpler components that were utilized to maintain specific homeostatic functions that play key roles in existence and survival of organisms.
Review of Diagnostic Biomarkers in Autoimmune Pancreatitis: Where Are We Now?
Authors: Yokode Masataka , Shiokawa Masahiro , Kodama Yuzo
Published: April 2021

Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is a pancreatic manifestation of an IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD). AIP lacks disease-specific biomarkers, and therefore, it is difficult to distinguish AIP from malignancies, especially pancreatic cancer. In this review, we have summarized the latest findings on potential diagnostic biomarkers for AIP. Many investigations have been conducted, but no specific biomarkers for AIP are identified. Therefore, further studies are required to identify accurate diagnostic biomarkers for AIP.
Evaluation of Non-Uniform Image Quality Caused by Anode Heel Effect in Digital Radiography Using Mutual Information
Authors: Chou Ming-Chung
Published: April 2021

Anode heel effects are known to cause non-uniform image quality, but no method has been proposed to evaluate the non-uniform image quality caused by the heel effect. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate non-uniform image quality in digital radiographs using a novel circular step-wedge (CSW) phantom and normalized mutual information (nMI). All X-ray images were acquired from a digital radiography system equipped with a CsI flat panel detector. A new acrylic CSW phantom was imaged ten times at various kVp and mAs to evaluate overall and non-uniform image quality with nMI metrics. For comparisons, a conventional contrast-detail resolution phantom was imaged ten times at identical exposure parameters to evaluate overall image quality with visible ratio (VR) metrics, and the phantom was placed in different orientations to assess non-uniform image quality. In addition, heel effect correction (HEC) was executed to elucidate the impact of its effect on image quality. The results showed that both nMI and VR metrics significantly changed with kVp and mAs, and had a significant positive correlation. The positive correlation is suggestive that the nMI metrics have a similar performance to the VR metrics in assessing the overall image quality of digital radiographs. The nMI metrics significantly changed with orientations and also significantly increased after HEC in the anode direction. However, the VR metrics did not change significantly with orientations or with HEC. The results indicate that the nMI metrics were more sensitive than the VR metrics with regards to non-uniform image quality caused by the anode heel effect. In conclusion, the proposed nMI metrics with a CSW phantom outperformed the conventional VR metrics in detecting non-uniform image quality caused by the heel effect, and thus are suitable for quantitatively evaluating non-uniform image quality in digital radiographs with and without HEC.
Cross-Scale Causality and Information Transfer in Simulated Epileptic Seizures
Authors: Gupta Kajari , Paluš Milan
Published: April 2021

An information-theoretic approach for detecting causality and information transfer was applied to phases and amplitudes of oscillatory components related to different time scales and obtained using the wavelet transform from a time series generated by the Epileptor model. Three main time scales and their causal interactions were identified in the simulated epileptic seizures, in agreement with the interactions of the model variables. An approach consisting of wavelet transform, conditional mutual information estimation, and surrogate data testing applied to a single time series generated by the model was demonstrated to be successful in the identification of all directional (causal) interactions between the three different time scales described in the model. Thus, the methodology was prepared for the identification of causal cross-frequency phase–phase and phase–amplitude interactions in experimental and clinical neural data.
α-Geodesical Skew Divergence
Authors: Kimura Masanari , Hino Hideitsu
Published: April 2021

The asymmetric skew divergence smooths one of the distributions by mixing it, to a degree determined by the parameter λ, with the other distribution. Such divergence is an approximation of the KL divergence that does not require the target distribution to be absolutely continuous with respect to the source distribution. In this paper, an information geometric generalization of the skew divergence called the α-geodesical skew divergence is proposed, and its properties are studied.
Flow Pattern Map of Flow Boiling in a Rectangular Channel Filled with Porous Media
Authors: Kim Youngwoo , Kim Dae Yeon , Kim Kyung Chun
Published: April 2021

A flow visualization study was carried out for flow boiling in a rectangular channel filled with and without metallic random porous media. Four main flow patterns are observed as intermittent slug-churn flow, churn-annular flow, annular-mist flow, and mist flow regimes. These flow patterns are clearly classified based on the high-speed images of the channel flow. The results of the flow pattern map according to the mass flow rate were presented using saturation temperatures and the materials of porous media as variables. As the saturation temperatures increased, the annular-mist flow regime occupied a larger area than the lower saturation temperatures condition. Therefore, the churn flow regime is narrower, and the slug flow more quickly turns to annular flow with the increasing vapor quality. The pattern map is not significantly affected by the materials of porous media.
Design of Solar Modules for Building Façades at Educational Facilities in Korea
Authors: Yoon Sung Duk , Vuthy Sopharith , Choi Ho Soon
Published: April 2021

Photovoltaic (PV) panels are the most widely used technology for renewable energy production; however, in urban areas, their installation locations are primarily limited to building rooftops. Here, a PV panel design that allows installation on building façades, particularly in elementary school buildings in South Korea, which are widely distributed throughout the country and have a standardized building design, was developed. Elementary schools in Seoul, Gwangju, and Busan were selected, and the energy production efficiency of the PV panels based on latitude and important influencing factors, including installation position, angle, and incoming solar irradiation, were investigated. Further, each targeted elementary school building and the corresponding PV module design were visualized in three dimensions. Thus, solar irradiation was measured, and the potential energy generated by the PV modules was calculated using the Insight software coupled with the Revit software. The building façade position associated with the highest energy production efficiency for each target elementary school was selected based on the optimal PV module tilt angle, and the total energy production was 307,734 kWh∙year−1. The results of this study can be applied to several other public education facilities and can be readily extended to high-rise residential buildings across Asia.
Identification of Compounds with Potential Therapeutic Uses from Sweet Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) Fruits and Their Modulation by Nitric Oxide (NO)
Authors: Guevara Lucía , Domínguez-Anaya María Ángeles , Ortigosa Alba , González-Gordo Salvador , Díaz Caridad , Vicente Francisca , Corpas Francisco J. , Pérez del Palacio José , Palma José M.
Published: April 2021

Plant species are precursors of a wide variety of secondary metabolites that, besides being useful for themselves, can also be used by humans for their consumption and economic benefit. Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) fruit is not only a common food and spice source, it also stands out for containing high amounts of antioxidants (such as vitamins C and A), polyphenols and capsaicinoids. Particular attention has been paid to capsaicin, whose anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative and analgesic activities have been reported in the literature. Due to the potential interest in pepper metabolites for human use, in this project, we carried out an investigation to identify new bioactive compounds of this crop. To achieve this, we applied a metabolomic approach, using an HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) separative technique coupled to metabolite identification by high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). After chromatographic analysis and data processing against metabolic databases, 12 differential bioactive compounds were identified in sweet pepper fruits, including quercetin and its derivatives, L-tryptophan, phytosphingosin, FAD, gingerglycolipid A, tetrahydropentoxylin, blumenol C glucoside, colnelenic acid and capsoside A. The abundance of these metabolites varied depending on the ripening stage of the fruits, either immature green or ripe red. We also studied the variation of these 12 metabolites upon treatment with exogenous nitric oxide (NO), a free radical gas involved in a good number of physiological processes in higher plants such as germination, growth, flowering, senescence, and fruit ripening, among others. Overall, it was found that the content of the analyzed metabolites depended on the ripening stage and on the presence of NO. The metabolic pattern followed by quercetin and its derivatives, as a consequence of the ripening stage and NO treatment, was also corroborated by transcriptomic analysis of genes involved in the synthesis of these compounds. This opens new research perspectives on the pepper fruit’s bioactive compounds with nutraceutical potentiality, where biotechnological strategies can be applied for optimizing the level of these beneficial compounds.
Histone Deacetylase 1 Reduces Lipogenesis by Suppressing SREBP1 Transcription in Human Sebocyte Cell Line SZ95
Authors: Shin Hye Sun , Lee Yuri , Shin Mi Hee , Cho Soo Ick , Zouboulis Christos C. , Kim Min Kyoung , Lee Dong Hun , Chung Jin Ho
Published: April 2021

Proper regulation of sebum production is important for maintaining skin homeostasis in humans. However, little is known about the role of epigenetic regulation in sebocyte lipogenesis. We investigated histone acetylation changes and their role in key lipogenic gene regulation during sebocyte lipogenesis using the human sebaceous gland cell line SZ95. Sebocyte lipogenesis is associated with a significant increase in histone acetylation. Treatment with anacardic acid (AA), a p300 histone acetyltransferase inhibitor, significantly decreased the lipid droplet number and the expression of key lipogenic genes, including sterol regulatory-binding protein 1 (SREBP1), fatty acid synthase (FAS), and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC). In contrast, treatment with trichostatin A (TSA), a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, increased the expression of these genes. Global HDAC enzyme activity was decreased, and HDAC1 and HDAC2 expression was downregulated during sebaceous lipogenesis. Interestingly, HDAC1 knockdown increased lipogenesis through SREBP1 induction, whereas HDAC1 overexpression decreased lipogenesis and significantly suppressed SREBP1 promoter activity. HDAC1 and SREBP1 levels were inversely correlated in human skin sebaceous glands as demonstrated in immunofluorescence images. In conclusion, HDAC1 plays a critical role in reducing SREBP1 transcription, leading to decreased sebaceous lipogenesis. Therefore, HDAC1 activation could be an effective therapeutic strategy for skin diseases related to excessive sebum production.
Horizontal Gene Transfer Involving Chloroplasts
Authors: Filip Ewa , Skuza Lidia
Published: April 2021

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT)- is defined as the acquisition of genetic material from another organism. However, recent findings indicate a possible role of HGT in the acquisition of traits with adaptive significance, suggesting that HGT is an important driving force in the evolution of eukaryotes as well as prokaryotes. It has been noted that, in eukaryotes, HGT is more prevalent than originally thought. Mitochondria and chloroplasts lost a large number of genes after their respective endosymbiotic events occurred. Even after this major content loss, organelle genomes still continue to lose their own genes. Many of these are subsequently acquired by intracellular gene transfer from the original plastid. The aim of our review was to elucidate the role of chloroplasts in the transfer of genes. This review also explores gene transfer involving mitochondrial and nuclear genomes, though recent studies indicate that chloroplast genomes are far more active in HGT as compared to these other two DNA-containing cellular compartments.
Biotechnological and Ecological Potential of Micromonospora provocatoris sp. nov., a Gifted Strain Isolated from the Challenger Deep of the Mariana Trench
Authors: Abdel-Mageed Wael M. , Al-Wahaibi Lamya H. , Lehri Burhan , Al-Saleem Muneera S. M. , Goodfellow Michael , Kusuma Ali B. , Nouioui Imen , Soleh Hariadi , Pathom-Aree Wasu , Jaspars Marcel , Karlyshev Andrey V.
Published: April 2021

A Micromonospora strain, isolate MT25T, was recovered from a sediment collected from the Challenger Deep of the Mariana Trench using a selective isolation procedure. The isolate produced two major metabolites, n-acetylglutaminyl glutamine amide and desferrioxamine B, the chemical structures of which were determined using 1D and 2D-NMR, including 1H-15N HSQC and 1H-15N HMBC 2D-NMR, as well as high resolution MS. A whole genome sequence of the strain showed the presence of ten natural product-biosynthetic gene clusters, including one responsible for the biosynthesis of desferrioxamine B. Whilst 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses showed that the isolate was most closely related to the type strain of Micromonospora chalcea, a whole genome sequence analysis revealed it to be most closely related to Micromonospora tulbaghiae 45142T. The two strains were distinguished using a combination of genomic and phenotypic features. Based on these data, it is proposed that strain MT25T (NCIMB 15245T, TISTR 2834T) be classified as Micromonospora provocatoris sp. nov. Analysis of the genome sequence of strain MT25T (genome size 6.1 Mbp) revealed genes predicted to responsible for its adaptation to extreme environmental conditions that prevail in deep-sea sediments.
Artemisia abrotanum L. (Southern Wormwood)—History, Current Knowledge on the Chemistry, Biological Activity, Traditional Use and Possible New Pharmaceutical and Cosmetological Applications
Authors: Ekiert Halina , Knut Ewa , Świątkowska Joanna , Klin Paweł , Rzepiela Agnieszka , Tomczyk Michał , Szopa Agnieszka
Published: April 2021

Artemisia abrotanum L. (southern wormwood) is a plant species with an important position in the history of European and Asian medicine. It is a species famous as a medicinal plant in Central Asia, Asia Minor, and in South-East and Central Europe. The raw materials obtained from this species are Abrotani herba and Abrotani folium. In the traditional European medicine, they have been used successfully most of all in liver and biliary tract diseases, in parasitic diseases in children and as antipyretic medication. In the official European medicine, this plant species is recommended by the French Pharmacopoeia for use in homeopathy. In many European countries, it is used traditionally in allopathy. The latest studies on the biological activity of extracts from the aboveground parts of the plant and/or the leaves, and/or the essential oil have provided evidence of other possible applications related to their antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, anticancer, and antiallergic properties. The latest studies have also focused on the repellent activity of the essential oil of this species and the possibility to use it in the prevention of diseases in which insects are the vectors. The main substances obtained from the plant that are responsible for this activity are: the essential oil, coumarins, phenolic acids, and flavonoids. Some of the latest investigations emphasize the large differences in the composition of the essential oil, determined by the geographical (climatic) origin of the plant. A. abrotanum is recommended by the European Cosmetic Ingredients Database (CosIng) as a source of valuable cosmetic ingredients. Additionally, the leaves of this species possess a well-established position in the food industry. This plant species is also the object of biotechnological studies.
Multi-Target Strategy to Uncover Unexpected Compounds in Rinse-Off and Leave-On Cosmetics
Authors: Celeiro Maria , Rubio Laura , Garcia-Jares Carmen , Lores Marta
Published: April 2021

The wide range and complexity of cosmetic formulations currently available on the market poses a challenge from an analytical point of view. In addition, during cosmetics manufacture, impurities coming from raw materials or formed by reaction of different organic compounds present in the formulation may be present. Their identification is mandatory to assure product quality and consumer health. In this work, micro-matrix solid-phase dispersion (μMSPD) is proposed as a multi-target sample preparation strategy to analyze a wide number of unexpected families of compounds including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pesticides, plasticizers, nitrosamines, alkylphenols (APs), and alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEOs). Analytical determination was performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for the determination of 51 target compounds in a single run, whereas liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was employed for the analysis of six APs and APEOs. Both methodologies were successfully validated in terms of linearity, accuracy, and precision in leave-on and rinse-off cosmetics. Limits of detection (LODs) were calculated in the low ng g−1, showing their suitability to determine trace levels of impurities and banned compounds with different chemical natures, providing useful tools to cosmetic control laboratories and companies.
Floating ZnO QDs-Modified TiO2/LLDPE Hybrid Polymer Film for the Effective Photodegradation of Tetracycline under Fluorescent Light Irradiation: Synthesis and Characterisation
Authors: Iqbal Anwar , Saidu Usman , Adam Farook , Sreekantan Srimala , Yahaya Noorfatimah , Ahmad Mohammad Norazmi , Ramalingam Rajabathar Jothi , Wilson Lee D.
Published: April 2021

In this work, mesoporous TiO2-modified ZnO quantum dots (QDs) were immobilised on a linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) polymer using a solution casting method for the photodegradation of tetracycline (TC) antibiotics under fluorescent light irradiation. Various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques were used to investigate the physicochemical properties of the floating hybrid polymer film catalyst (8%-ZT@LLDPE). The highest removal (89.5%) of TC (40 mg/L) was achieved within 90 min at pH 9 due to enhanced water uptake by the LDDPE film and the surface roughness of the hybrid film. The formation of heterojunctions increased the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The QDs size-dependent quantum confinement effect leads to the displacement of the conduction band potential of ZnO QDs to more negative energy values than TiO2. The displacement generates more reactive species with higher oxidation ability. The highly stable film photocatalyst can be separated easily and can be repeatedly used up to 8 cycles without significant loss in the photocatalytic ability. The scavenging test indicates that the main species responsible for the photodegradation was O2●−. The proposed photodegradation mechanism of TC was demonstrated in further detail based on the intermediates detected by LC-time-of-flight/mass spectrometry (LC/TOF-MS).
Enhanced Pharmaceutically Active Compounds Productivity from Streptomyces SUK 25: Optimization, Characterization, Mechanism and Techno-Economic Analysis
Authors: Al-Shaibani Muhanna Mohammed , Radin Mohamed Radin Maya Saphira , Zin Noraziah Mohamad , Al-Gheethi Adel , Al-Sahari Mohammed , El Enshasy Hesham Ali
Published: April 2021

The present research aimed to enhance the pharmaceutically active compounds’ (PhACs’) productivity from Streptomyces SUK 25 in submerged fermentation using response surface methodology (RSM) as a tool for optimization. Besides, the characteristics and mechanism of PhACs against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus were determined. Further, the techno-economic analysis of PhACs production was estimated. The independent factors include the following: incubation time, pH, temperature, shaker rotation speed, the concentration of glucose, mannitol, and asparagine, although the responses were the dry weight of crude extracts, minimum inhibitory concentration, and inhibition zone and were determined by RSM. The PhACs were characterized using GC-MS and FTIR, while the mechanism of action was determined using gene ontology extracted from DNA microarray data. The results revealed that the best operating parameters for the dry mass crude extracts production were 8.20 mg/L, the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) value was 8.00 µg/mL, and an inhibition zone of 17.60 mm was determined after 12 days, pH 7, temperature 28 °C, shaker rotation speed 120 rpm, 1 g glucose /L, 3 g mannitol/L, and 0.5 g asparagine/L with R2 coefficient value of 0.70. The GC-MS and FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of 21 PhACs, and several functional groups were detected. The gene ontology revealed that 485 genes were upregulated and nine genes were downregulated. The specific and annual operation cost of the production of PhACs was U.S. Dollar (U.S.D) 48.61 per 100 mg compared to U.S.D 164.3/100 mg of the market price, indicating that it is economically cheaper than that at the market price.
Synthesis of α-Aminophosphonates and Related Derivatives; The Last Decade of the Kabachnik–Fields Reaction
Authors: Varga Petra R. , Keglevich György
Published: April 2021

The Kabachnik–Fields reaction, comprising the condensation of an amine, oxo compound and a P-reagent (generally a >P(O)H species or trialkyl phosphite), still attracts interest due to the challenging synthetic procedures and the potential biological activity of the resulting α-aminophosphonic derivatives. Following the success of the first part (Molecules 2012, 17, 12821), here we summarize the synthetic developments in this field accumulated in the last decade. The procedures compiled include catalytic accomplishments as well as catalyst-free and/or solvent-free “greener” protocols. The products embrace α-aminophosphonates, α-aminophosphinates, and α-aminophosphine oxides along with different bis derivatives from the double phospha-Mannich approach. The newer developments of the aza-Pudovik reactions are also included.
Model Simplification of Deep Random Forest for Real-Time Applications of Various Sensor Data
Authors: Kim Sangwon , Ko Byoung-Chul , Nam Jaeyeal
Published: April 2021

The deep random forest (DRF) has recently gained new attention in deep learning because it has a high performance similar to that of a deep neural network (DNN) and does not rely on a backpropagation. However, it connects a large number of decision trees to multiple layers, thereby making analysis difficult. This paper proposes a new method for simplifying a black-box model of a DRF using a proposed rule elimination. For this, we consider quantifying the feature contributions and frequency of the fully trained DRF in the form of a decision rule set. The feature contributions provide a basis for determining how features affect the decision process in a rule set. Model simplification is achieved by eliminating unnecessary rules by measuring the feature contributions. Consequently, the simplified and transparent DRF has fewer parameters and rules than before. The proposed method was successfully applied to various DRF models and benchmark sensor datasets while maintaining a robust performance despite the elimination of a large number of rules. A comparison with state-of-the-art compressed DNNs also showed the proposed model simplification’s higher parameter compression and memory efficiency with a similar classification accuracy.
Physical Investigations on Bias-Free, Photo-Induced Hall Sensors Based on Pt/GaAs and Pt/Si Schottky Junctions
Authors: Wang Xiaolei , Sun Xupeng , Cui Shuainan , Yang Qianqian , Zhai Tianrui , Zhao Jinliang , Deng Jinxiang , Ruotolo Antonio
Published: April 2021

Hall-effect in semiconductors has wide applications for magnetic field sensing. Yet, a standard Hall sensor retains two problems: its linearity is affected by the non-uniformity of the current distribution; the sensitivity is bias-dependent, with linearity decreasing with increasing bias current. In order to improve the performance, we here propose a novel structure which realizes bias-free, photo-induced Hall sensors. The system consists of a semi-transparent metal Pt and a semiconductor Si or GaAs to form a Schottky contact. We systematically compared the photo-induced Schottky behaviors and Hall effects without net current flowing, depending on various magnetic fields, light intensities and wavelengths of Pt/GaAs and Pt/Si junctions. The electrical characteristics of the Schottky photo-diodes were fitted to obtain the barrier height as a function of light intensity. We show that the open-circuit Hall voltage of Pt/GaAs junction is orders of magnitude lower than that of Pt/Si, and the barrier height of GaAs is smaller. It should be attributed to the surface states in GaAs which block the carrier drifting. This work not only realizes the physical investigations of photo-induced Hall effects in Pt/GaAs and Pt/Si Schottky junctions, but also opens a new pathway for bias-free magnetic sensing with high linearity and sensitivity comparing to commercial Hall-sensors.
A Wearable System with Embedded Conductive Textiles and an IMU for Unobtrusive Cardio-Respiratory Monitoring
Authors: Di Tocco Joshua , Raiano Luigi , Sabbadini Riccardo , Massaroni Carlo , Formica Domenico , Schena Emiliano
Published: April 2021

The continuous and simultaneous monitoring of physiological parameters represents a key aspect in clinical environments, remote monitoring and occupational settings. In this regard, respiratory rate (RR) and heart rate (HR) are correlated with several physiological and pathological conditions of the patients/workers, and with environmental stressors. In this work, we present and validate a wearable device for the continuous monitoring of such parameters. The proposed system embeds four conductive sensors located on the user’s chest which allow retrieving the breathing activity through their deformation induced during cyclic expansion and contraction of the rib cage. For monitoring HR we used an embedded IMU located on the left side of the chest wall. We compared the proposed device in terms of estimating HR and RR against a reference system in three scenarios: sitting, standing and supine. The proposed system reliably estimated both RR and HR, showing low error averaged along subjects in all scenarios. This is the first study focused on the feasibility assessment of a wearable system based on a multi-sensor configuration (i.e., conductive sensors and IMU) for RR and HR monitoring. The promising results encourage the application of this approach in clinical and occupational settings.
Sensor Information Sharing Using a Producer-Consumer Algorithm on Small Vehicles
Authors: Vazquez-Lopez Rodrigo , Herrera-Lozada Juan Carlos , Sandoval-Gutierrez Jacobo , von Bülow Philipp , Martinez-Vazquez Daniel Librado
Published: April 2021

There are several tools, frameworks, and algorithms to solve information sharing from multiple tasks and robots. Some applications such as ROS, Kafka, and MAVLink cover most problems when using operating systems. However, they cannot be used for particular problems that demand optimization of resources. Therefore, the objective was to design a solution to fit the resources of small vehicles. The methodology consisted of defining the group of vehicles with low performance or are not compatible with high-level known applications; design a reduced, modular, and compatible architecture; design a producer-consumer algorithm that adjusts to the simultaneous localization and communication of multiple vehicles with UWB sensors; validate the operation with an interception task. The results showed the feasibility of performing architecture for embedded systems compatible with other applications managing information through the proposed algorithm allowed to complete the interception task between two vehicles. Another result was to determine the system’s efficiency by scaling the memory size and comparing its performance. The work’s contributions show the areas of opportunity to develop architectures focusing on the optimization of robot resources and complement existing ones.
Nuevo panorama sobre Pueblo Viejo del Morado (HUM.07b), Departamento de Humahuaca, Provincia de Jujuy
Authors: Ramundo Paola Silvia , Gaál Erico Germán , López de Medina Carlos Belotti , Zoé Julio Sofía , Sanz Daniela Julia , Santos Giraldo Maryluna
Published: April 2021

El trabajo se propone analizar y discutir la información procedente de un nuevo sector dentro del sitio conocido arqueológicamente como Pueblo Viejo del Morado o HUM.07b, localizado en la quebrada de La Cueva, Departamento de Humahuaca, Provincia de Jujuy, Argentina. Esto se debe a que en recientes investigaciones se encontraron tumbas construidas en falsa bóveda, conformando otra área diferente de las conocidas y registradas dentro del sitio. Por lo tanto, a través del estudio de las características de este nuevo sector (emplazamiento, arquitectura y/o técnicas constructivas), del análisis del material cerámico, lítico, metalúrgico y óseo recuperado, de la determinación de los procesos de formación del sitio (naturales y culturales) que actuaron y siguen actuando, así como también mediante la comparación de estos flamantes datos con los resultados precedentes del mismo sitio pero que fueron obtenidos por Casanova en la década del treinta del siglo XX, la presente investigación profundiza en el conocimiento de algunos aspectos socioculturales prehispánicos de dicha quebrada, como identidad, interacción y/o intercambio, prácticas mortuorias, entre otros.
Vasijas Angosto Chico Inciso: interacción entre quebradeños y yungueños. Evidencia petrográfica en secciones delgadas
Authors: Cremonte María Beatriz
Published: April 2021

Desde su identificación a mediados del siglo XX, el estilo o complejo estilístico cerámico Angosto Chico Inciso (ACHI) generó continuos interrogantes sobre su origen, su distribución geográfica, consumo diferencial e identidad. En estas páginas, como resultado del análisis petrográfico de las pastas de cuarenta y una vasijas ACHI aportamos información potencialmente útil para responder algunos de estos interrogantes. Se presenta un breve panorama de la historia en los estudios de estas cerámicas y se comenta la contribución de la perspectiva arqueométrica aplicada en la interpretación social de las diferentes elecciones tecnológicas registradas.
Pensar el siglo XIX desde los afectos
Authors: Peluffo Ana
Published: April 2021

Este ensayo recorre los principales aportes teóricos del giro afectivo (Sara Ahmed, Brian Massumi, Peter Stearns) y de lxs historiadorxs de la emoción (Barbara Rosenwein, William Reddy) para ver de qué manera una aproximación en clave emocional sobre los textos decimonónicos nos puede servir para desestabilizar, subvertir y/o complementar lecturas canónicas muy arraigadas en el imaginario crítico. A partir de esta historización de los afectos, este análisis se centra en la racialización y feminización de las emociones para pensar específicamente la politización del sentimentalismo y la necesidad de recobrar formas de leer el lenguaje no referencial del afecto que hemos perdido en el siglo XXI.
Mathematical modeling and glaucoma: the need for an individualized approach to risk assessment
Authors: Verticchio Vercellin Alice Chandra , Harris Alon , Cordell Jareau Vance , Do Thai , Moroney James , Belamkar Aditya , Siesky Brent
Published: April 2021

Primary open-angle glaucoma is a chronic optic neuropathy characterized by retinal ganglion cell loss and subsequent visual field impairment. Elevated intraocular pressure remains the only treatable and modifiable risk factor and vascular impairment has been demonstrated in glaucomatous patients. New research has uncovered varying and often contradictory data suggesting more than just a casual correlation with ethnicity, diabetes, gender, obesity and age. Little is known about each variables’ contribution to the etiology of glaucoma and how their presence or absence with other risk factors potentiate or reduce an individual’s overall risk. The realization that glaucoma is more than a simple, binary disease necessitates a next-generation mathematical model with the capability to integrate individual patient characteristics and clinical risk factors to predict its formation and progression.
Computer-aided identification of novel ophthalmic artery waveform parameters in healthy subjects and glaucoma patients
Authors: Carichino Lucia , Guidoboni Giovanna , Verticchio Vercellin Alice Chandra , Milano Giovanni , Cutolo Carlo Alberto , Tinelli Carmine , De Silvestri Annalisa , Lapin Sergey , Gross Joshua C. , Siesky Brent A. , Harris Alon
Published: April 2021

Purpose: Arterial waveform parameters (WPs) are commonly used to monitor and diagnose systemic diseases. Color Doppler Imaging (CDI) is a consolidated technique to measure blood velocity profile in some of the major ocular vessels. This study proposes a computer-aided manipulation process of ophthalmic artery (OA) CDI images to classify and quantify WPs that might be significant in the assessment of glaucoma.Methods: Fifty CDI images acquired by four different operators on nine healthy individuals and 38 CDI images of 38 open-angle glaucoma (OAG) patients were considered. An ad-hoc semi-automated image processing code was implemented to detect the digitalized OA velocity waveform and to extract the WPs. Concordance correlation coefficient (CCC), two-sample t-test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were used to test for similarities, differences and associations among variables.Results: The OA-CDI images manipulation proposed showed a higher concordance between measured peak systolic velocity (PSV) data and extracted PSV data (0.80≤CCC≤0.98) than on end diastolic velocity (EDV) (0.45≤CCC≤0.63) and resistive index (RI) (0.30≤CCC≤0.58) data. In OAG patients, EDV, RI, subendocardial viability ratio (SEVR), period (T), area ratio (f) and normalized distance between ascending and descending limb (DAD/T) were found statistically correlated to at least one of the following factors: gender, age, ocular medications and year of diagnosis. When compared to healthy individuals, OAG patients OA-CDI profiles showed statistically higher values of f (p < 0.001) and DAD/T (p = 0.002) (p-values corrected by age and gender).Conclusion: The proposed computer-aided manipulation of OA-CDI images allowed to identify DAD/T as a novel WP that vary significantly among healthy individuals and OAG patients, and among female and male OAG patients. Future studies on longitudinal OAG data are suggested to investigate the potential of DAD/T to predict severity and progression of the disease.
Dynamical characteristics of microvascular networks with a myogenic response gradient
Authors: Neganova Anastasiia
Published: April 2021

Purpose: Myogenic response is the ability of smooth muscle cells lining the vascu-lar wall to react to changing intravascular pressure: increasing pressure normallyinduces contraction whereas decreasing pressure leads to dilatation. Experimentalstudies show that the intensity of the myogenic response is dierent in arteriolarvessels of dierent radii: smaller arterioles react relatively more intensely, but overa more narrow range of pressures, than larger arterioles. In a network of vessels,this gives rise to a myogenic response gradient. The physiological significance of this gradient is, nonetheless, debated. Our purpose is to investigate the dynamical characteristics of microvascular networks with a myogenic response gradient by means of mathematical modeling.Methods: We present a mathematical vascular network model which includes a de-tailed description of vessel wall mechanics and the myogenic response gradient. Wefocus on the influence of this gradient on short-term network dynamics. We performa series of numerical simulations in both symmetrical and asymmetrical vasculartrees in which the individual vessel is given a realistic morphology, i.e., relative wallthickness is smaller in larger vessels.Results: Our main findings show that the presence of a myogenic response gradient:1. adjusts flow and pressure in the capillary bed to an adequate level and dampensoscillations transmitted from upstream feeding vessels;2. provides the network as a whole with a basal level of tone necessary for theoperation of vasomotor mechanisms other than the myogenic response; and3. provides the system with the overall ability to autoregulate network flowsmoothly.Conclusion: The mathematical model shows that networks with a myogenic response gradient present advantages regarding the physiological function of regulating flow in a bifurcating network compared to networks without myogenic response and passive networks