bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Collective Trauma and Mental Health in Adolescents: A Retrospective Cohort Study of the Effects of Retraumatization
Authors: Pazderka Hannah , Brown Matthew R. G. , Agyapong Vincent I. O. , Greenshaw Andrew James , McDonald-Harker Caroline Beth , Noble Shannon , Mankowski Monica , Lee Bonnie , Drolet Julie L. , Omeje Joy , Brett-MacLean Pamela , Kitching Deborah Terry , Silverstone Peter H.
Published: June 2021

In the wake of the massive Canadian wildfire of May 2016 in the area of Fort McMurray Alberta, we observed increased rates of mental health problems, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in school-aged adolescents (ages 11–19). Surprisingly, we did not see these rates decline over the 3.5-year follow-up period. Additionally, our research suggested that the impact of this mass incident resulted in other unanticipated effects, including the finding that children who were not present for and relatively unaffected by the wildfire showed a similar PTSD symptom profile to children more directly involved, suggesting some degree of spillover or stress contagion. A potential explanation for these high rates in individuals who were not present could be undiagnosed retraumatization in some of the students. To investigate this possibility, we compared two groups of students: those who reported the wildfire as their most significant trauma (n = 740) and those who had their most significant trauma prior to the wildfire (n = 295). Those with significant pre-existing trauma had significantly higher rates of both depression and PTSD symptoms, although, unexpectedly the groups exhibited no differences in anxiety level. Taken together, this evidence suggests retraumatization is both longer-lasting and more widespread than might be predicted on a case-by-case basis, suggesting the need to reconceptualize the role of past trauma history in present symptomatology. These findings point to the need to recognize that crises instigated by natural disasters are mass phenomena which expose those involved to numerous unanticipated risks. New trauma-informed treatment approaches are required that incorporate sensitivity to the collective impact of mass crises, and recognize the risk of poorer long-term mental health outcomes for those who experienced trauma in the past.
A Review and Clinical Practice Guideline for Health Professionals Working With Indigenous and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Populations During COVID-19
Authors: Kayrouz Rony , Schofield Carlie , Nielssen Olav , Karin Eyal , Staples Lauren , Titov Nickolai
Published: June 2021

Background: As the rates of infection and mortality from COVID-19 have been higher in minority groups, the communication of health information in a way that is understood and accepted is of particular importance.

Aims: To provide health professionals with a clinical practice guideline for clear and culturally sensitive communication of health information about COVID-19 to people of Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds.

Assessment of Guideline Options: The authors conducted a review of the literature on health communication, and the guidelines were developed with particular reference to the SPIKES protocol of “breaking bad news” in oncology and the use of the DSM-5 Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI).

Actionable Recommendations: The guideline combines two approaches, the Cultural Formulation Interview, developed for DSM-5, and the SPIKES protocol used for delivering “bad news” in oncology. The combined CFI-SPIKES protocol is a six-step clinical practice guideline that includes the following: (1) Set up (S) the interview; (2) Determine how the patient perceives the problem (P) using the Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI) to elicit the patient's cultural perception of the problem; (3) Obtain an invitation (I) from the patient to receive a diagnosis; (4) Provide the patient knowledge (K) of diagnosis in a non-technical way; (5) Address the patient's emotional reaction (E) to diagnosis; and (6) Provide the patient a summary (S) of healthcare and treatment.

Conclusions and Relevance: This article presents guidelines for assessing the cultural dimensions of patients' understanding of COVID-19 and delivering diagnostic and treatment recommendations in ways that are culturally safe and responsive, such as: (a) suspending the clinician's own cultural biases to understand the explanatory models and cultural values of their CALD or Indigenous patients; (b) encouraging the use of interpreters or cultural brokers to ensure that that the message is delivered in a way that the patient can understand; and (c) encouraging CALD or Indigenous patient to take an active part in the solution and treatment adherence, to minimize transmission of COVID-19 in CALD and Indigenous communities.
The Effects of Spatial Planning, Well-Being, and Behavioural Changes During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Song Xinyao , Cao Mengqiu , Zhai Keyu , Gao Xing , Wu Meiling , Yang Tianren
Published: June 2021

COVID-19 poses a massive challenge to urban public-health emergency and governance systems. Urban planners and policymakers engaged in spatial planning and management should carefully consider how a “people-oriented” principle can be incorporated into spatial-planning systems to reduce the negative impacts on both cities and people. However, there is limited literature discussing the aforementioned issues, particularly using qualitative methods. Therefore, this research aims to explore the implications of COVID-19 on spatial planning, well-being, and behavioural change using Changchun as a case study. Semi-structured interviews are used to examine the views and insights of 23 participants. Our results show that, first, the shift to home working has changed people's way of life, affected their subjective well-being, and significantly affected spatial planning within cities, placing greater demands on architectural design and community spatial planning. Therefore, additional open public spaces and a more supportive infrastructure are required. Second, it is found that Changchun has not established an effective community-based spatial planning system, something which should have been taken into consideration in the master plan for the future. Third, our findings suggest that being a resilient city is vital for the sustainable development of second-tier cities like Changchun, which is reflected in urban development patterns, disaster prevention, and long-term functional layout, among other aspects. This study contributes to the existing literature on resilient cities, particularly from the perspective of sustainability with regard to resilience to and recovery from major urban crises. In terms of policy implications, planning departments should work with public health and public safety departments to formulate guidelines and management rules in order to improve the spatial planning of cities during periods of extraordinary change and challenge.
Evaluation of Algae-Based Fertilizers Produced from Revolving Algal Biofilms on Kentucky Bluegrass
Authors: Lindsey Alex J. , Thoms Adam W. , Dancer Jens , Gross Martin
Published: June 2021

The revolving algal biofilm (RAB) system is a wastewater treatment method that is effective at removing nutrients from wastewater, and as a result produces algae that could be used as a sustainable fertilizer source. A two-year greenhouse study was conducted to investigate if algae-based fertilizers produced from the RAB wastewater treatment system could be used as an effective and sustainable turfgrass fertilizer. Fertilizer treatments included pure algae (PA), algae + cellulosic filler (Blended), Milorganite, urea, and a nontreated control. Overall, in terms of percent green cover (PGC), Blended and PA performed similar to Milorganite and outperformed urea and the nontreated control. At the conclusion of the study, Blended was the only treatment to have an increased PGC relative to urea, which was a 29% increase. On average throughout the duration of the study, Blended and PA resulted in similar dark green color index (DGCI) relative to Milorganite and urea, and outperformed the nontreated control. Blended, PA, and Milorganite resulted in 50% and 111% greater total root length compared to urea and the nontreated control, respectively. Furthermore, Blended and Milorganite resulted in 107% and 136% greater root surface area and root volume, respectively, compared to urea and the nontreated control. Pure algae resulted in 58% greater root surface area relative to urea and the nontreated control. Blended and Milorganite increased the longest root by 22% compared to urea. Additionally, Blended and Milorganite resulted in 114% and 110% greater root and shoot biomass relative to the nontreated control, respectively. Blended and PA had a similar longest shoot length to Milorganite and urea. Overall, Blended and PA performed similar or better compared to Milorganite and urea in terms of turfgrass shoot growth, cover, color, and rooting. Thus, algae-based fertilizers (PA and Blended) produced from the RAB system should be considered an effective, sustainable turfgrass fertilizer.
The Occurrence of Legacy P Soils and Potential Mitigation Practices Using Activated Biochar
Authors: Cerven Vasile , Novak Jeff M. , Szögi Ariel A. , Pantuck Kenneth , Watts Don W. , Johnson Mark G.
Published: June 2021

The long-term application of manures in watersheds with dense animal production has increased soil phosphorus (P) concentration, exceeding plant and soil assimilative capacities. The P accumulated in soils that are heavily manured and contain excess extractable soil P concentrations is known as legacy P. Runoff and leaching can transport legacy P to ground water and surface water bodies, contributing to water quality impairment and environmental pollution, such as eutrophication. This review article analyzes and discusses current and innovative management practices for soil legacy P. Specifically, we address the use of biochar as an emerging novel technology that reduces P movement and bioavailability in legacy P soils. We illustrate that properties of biochar can be affected by pyrolysis temperature and by various activating chemical compounds and by-products. Our approach consists of engineering biochars, using an activation process on poultry litter feedstock before pyrolysis to enhance the binding or precipitation of legacy P. Finally, this review article describes previous examples of biochar activation and offers new approaches to the production of biochars with enhanced P sorption capabilities.
An Overview on the Potential Hazards of Pyrethroid Insecticides in Fish, with Special Emphasis on Cypermethrin Toxicity
Authors: Farag Mayada R. , Alagawany Mahmoud , Bilal Rana M. , Gewida Ahmed G. A. , Dhama Kuldeep , Abdel-Latif Hany M. R. , Amer Mahmoud S. , Rivero-Perez Nallely , Zaragoza-Bastida Adrian , Binnaser Yaser S. , Batiha Gaber El-Saber , Naiel Mohammed A. E.
Published: June 2021

Pesticides are chemicals used to control pests, such as aquatic weeds, insects, aquatic snails, and plant diseases. They are extensively used in forestry, agriculture, veterinary practices, and of great public health importance. Pesticides can be categorized according to their use into three major types (namely insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides). Water contamination by pesticides is known to induce harmful impacts on the production, reproduction, and survivability of living aquatic organisms, such as algae, aquatic plants, and fish (shellfish and finfish species). The literature and information present in this review article facilitate evaluating the toxic effects from exposure to various fish species to different concentrations of pesticides. Moreover, a brief overview of sources, classification, mechanisms of action, and toxicity signs of pyrethroid insecticides in several fish species will be illustrated with special emphasis on Cypermethrin toxicity.
Seasonal Effect on Developmental Competence, Oxidative Status and Tubulin Assessment of Prepubertal Ovine Oocyte
Authors: Serra Elisa , Gadau Sergio Domenico , Leoni Giovanni Giuseppe , Naitana Salvatore , Succu Sara
Published: June 2021

The reproductive seasonality of domestic animals is often manipulated in order to have more reproductive periods for commercial purposes related to the production of milk and meat. It is scientifically proven that such an alteration of the reproductive activity in sheep entails a deterioration in oocyte quality, leading to an inability to generate embryos. Since oocytes obtained from prepubertal ewes can be incorporated into an in vitro embryo production system and considering that their quality is crucial to the success of in vitro procedures, the aim of this work was to investigate the effect of seasons on the quality of prepubertal ovine oocytes collected in autumn and spring. Ovaries were collected from a local slaughterhouse from 30–40-day-old suckling lambs during both seasons. Following 24 h of in vitro maturation, oocytes developmental competence, reactive oxygen species (ROS) intracellular levels, and mitochondrial activity were evaluated, and a tubulin assessment was performed. The results on embryo production, as a percentage of first divisions and number of blastocysts obtained, were significantly higher in oocytes collected in the spring. Mitochondrial activity in oocytes was higher, and ROS production significantly lower, in spring than in autumn. Tubulin PTMs (tyrosinated and acetylated α-tubulin) showed a higher immunoreactivity in oocytes collected in spring compared with autumn sampling. Our data showed that seasons may affect the developmental competence, energetic status, and tubulin assessment of oocytes recovered from prepubertal ewes. Therefore, special care should be taken when choosing the period of the year for prepuberal ovine oocytes collection aimed at in vitro embryo reproduction programs.
Post-Prandial Amino Acid Changes in Gilthead Sea Bream
Authors: Mente Eleni , Carter Chris G. , Barnes Robin S. (Katersky) , Vlahos Nikolaos , Nengas Ioannis
Published: June 2021

Following a meal, a series of physiological changes occurs in fish as they digest, absorb and assimilate ingested nutrients. This study aims to assess post-prandial free amino acid (FAA) activity in gilthead sea bream consuming a partial marine protein (fishmeal) replacement. Sea bream were fed diets where 16 and 27% of the fishmeal protein was replaced by plant protein. The essential amino acid (EAA) composition of the white muscle, liver and gut of sea bream was strongly correlated with the EAA composition of the 16% protein replacement diet compared to the 27% protein replacement diet. The mean FAA concentration in the white muscle and liver changed at 4 to 8 h after a meal and was not different to pre-feeding (0 h) and at 24 h after feeding. It was confirmed in this study that 16% replacement of marine protein with plant protein meets the amino acid needs of sea bream. Overall, the present study contributes towards understanding post-prandial amino acid profiles during uptake, tissue assimilation and immediate metabolic processing of amino acids in sea bream consuming a partial marine protein replacement. This study suggests the need to further investigate the magnitude of the post-prandial tissue-specific amino acid activity in relation to species-specific abilities to regulate metabolism due to dietary nutrient utilization.
The Effect of Egg Laying on Feather and Plasma Corticosterone Concentrations in Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) Hens
Authors: Leishman Emily M. , van Staaveren Nienke , Mohr Jeff , Wood Benjamin J. , Freeman Nikole E. , Newman Amy E. M. , Harlander-Matauschek Alexandra , Baes Christine F.
Published: June 2021

Phenological differences in energy demand (i.e., reproductive status) might influence the measurement of corticosterone. The objective of this study was to compare corticosterone concentrations in feathers (FCORT) and plasma (PCORT) for turkey hens before and during egg laying. Secondary feathers 1 and 3, and a plasma sample were collected from 50 hens at 30 weeks (before egg laying) from two purebred lines. The hens were reexamined during lay (45 weeks) to collect regrown feathers and plasma samples. Corticosterone concentrations were measured using an ELISA. Linear mixed models were used to assess the effect of genetic line (A vs. B) and period (pre-lay vs. lay) on FCORT and PCORT levels. An increase in FCORT during lay was detected for line B (p < 0.0001), but not line A (p = 0.3076). An increase in FCORT during lay was detectable in both feather types, but there was a difference between secondary 1 and 3 in FCORT concentration within each line studied. Conversely, PCORT decreased between the pre-lay and lay periods for both lines, although the decrease was more substantial for line A (p < 0.0001). Differences in metabolic investment in egg production between the two genetic lines may explain the different FCORT response during lay. The results from this study provide insight into how periods of high energy demand may influence corticosterone which should be considered when interpreting results.
Anthropogenic and Environmental Factors Determining Local Favourable Conditions for Wolves during the Cold Season
Authors: Viola Paolo , Adriani Settimio , Rossi Carlo Maria , Franceschini Cinzia , Primi Riccardo , Apollonio Marco , Amici Andrea
Published: June 2021

Winter resources are crucial for wildlife, and, at a local scale, some anthropogenic and environmental factors could affect their availability. In the case of wolves, it is known that vocalisations in response to unfamiliar howls are issued to defend their territory and the important resources within it. Then, we studied the characteristics of winter response sites (WRS) during the cold season, aiming to assess their eventual ability to provide insights into the distribution of valuable resources within their territories. Within this scope, we planned a wolf-howling survey following a standardised approach. The study covered an Apennine (Central Italy) area of 500 km2. A hexagonal mesh was imposed on the area, in order to determine the values of different variables at the local scale. A logistic LASSO regression was performed. WRS were positively related to the presence of thermal refuges (odds = 114.485), to patch richness (odds = 1.153), wild boar drive hunting areas (odds = 1.015), and time elapsed since the last hunt (odds = 1.019). Among negative factors, stray dogs reply considerably affects wolves’ responsiveness (odds = 0.207), where odds are the exponentiated coefficients estimated by the logistic lasso regression. These results suggest that WRS are related to anthropogenic and environmental factors favouring the predation process.
From Novels to Video Games: Romantic Love and Narrative Form in Japanese Visual Novels and Romance Adventure Games
Authors: Saito Kumiko
Published: June 2021

Video games are powerful narrative media that continue to evolve. Romance games in Japan, which began as text-based adventure games and are today known as bishōjo games and otome games, form a powerful textual corpus for literary and media studies. They adopt conventional literary narrative strategies and explore new narrative forms formulated by an interface with computer-generated texts and audiovisual fetishism, thereby challenging the assumptions about the modern textual values of storytelling. The article first examines differences between visual novels that feature female characters for a male audience and romance adventure games that feature male characters for a female audience. Through the comparison, the article investigates how notions of romantic love and relationship have transformed from the modern identity politics based on freedom and the autonomous self to the decentered model of mediation and interaction in the contemporary era.
Molecular Initiating Events Associated with Drug-Induced Liver Malignant Tumors: An Integrated Study of the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System and Toxicity Predictions
Authors: Kurosaki Kota , Uesawa Yoshihiro
Published: June 2021

Liver malignant tumors (LMTs) represent a serious adverse drug event associated with drug-induced liver injury. Increases in endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have attracted attention in recent years, due to their liver function-inhibiting abilities. Exposure to EDCs can induce nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, which are major etiologies of LMTs, through interaction with nuclear receptors (NR) and stress response pathways (SRs). Therefore, exposure to potential EDC drugs could be associated with drug-induced LMTs. However, the drug classes associated with LMTs and the molecular initiating events (MIEs) that are specific to these drugs are not well understood. In this study, using the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System, we detected LMT-inducing drug signals based on adjusted odds ratios. Furthermore, based on the hypothesis that drug-induced LMTs are triggered by NR and SR modulation of potential EDCs, we used the quantitative structure–activity relationship platform for toxicity prediction to identify potential MIEs that are specific to LMT-inducing drug classes. Events related to cell proliferation and apoptosis, DNA damage, and lipid accumulation were identified as potential MIEs, and their relevance to LMTs was supported by the literature. The findings of this study may contribute to drug development and research, as well as regulatory decision making.
High-Risk Clinicopathological and Genetic Features and Outcomes in Patients Receiving Neoadjuvant Radiochemotherapy for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer
Authors: del Carmen Sofía , Corchete Luís Antonio , González Velasco Cristina , Sanz Julia , Alcazar José Antonio , García Jacinto , Rodríguez Ana Isabel , Vidal Tocino Rosario , Rodriguez Alba , Pérez-Romasanta Luis Alberto , Sayagués José María , Abad Mar
Published: June 2021

Administering preoperative radiochemotherapy (RCT) in stage II-III tumors to locally advanced rectal carcinoma patients has proved to be effective in a high percentage of cases. Despite this, 20–30% of patients show no response or even disease progression. At present, preoperative response is assessed by a combination of imaging and tumor regression on histopathology, but recent studies suggest that various genetic abnormalities may be associated with the sensitivity or resistance of rectal cancer tumor cells to neoadjuvant therapy. In the present study we investigated the relationship between genetic lesions detected by high-density single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) arrays 6.0 and response to neoadjuvant RCT, evaluated according to Dworak criteria in 39 rectal cancer tumors before treatment. The highest frequency of copy-number (CN) losses detected corresponded to chromosomes 18q (n = 27; 69%), 1p (n = 22; 56%), 15q (n = 19; 49%), 8p (n = 18; 48%), 4q (n = 17; 46%), and 22q (n = 17; 46%); in turn, CN gains more frequently involved chromosomes 20p (n = 22; 56%), 8p (n = 20; 51%), and 15q (n = 16; 41%). There was a significant association between alterations in the 1p, 3q, 7q, 12p, 17q, 20p, and 22q chromosomal regions and the degree of response to therapy prior to surgery. However, 4q, 15q11.1, and 15q14 chromosomal region alterations were identified as important by five prediction algorithms, i.e., those with the greatest influence on predicting the tumor response to treatment with preoperative RCT. Multivariate analysis of prognostic factors showed that gains on 15q11.1 and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels serum at diagnosis were the only independent variables predicting disease-free survival (DFS). Lymph node involvement also showed a prognostic impact on overall survival (OS) in the multivariate analysis. A deep-learning-based algorithm showed a 100% success rate in predicting both DFS and OS at 60 months after diagnosis of the disease. In summary, our results indicate the existence of an association between tumor genetic abnormalities at diagnosis, response to neoadjuvant therapy, and survival of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. In addition to the clinical and biological characteristics of locally advanced rectal cancer patients, these could be used in the future as therapeutic and prognostic biomarkers, to identify patients sensitive or resistant to preoperative treatment, helping guide therapeutic decision-making. Additional prospective studies in larger series of patients are required to confirm the clinical utility of the newly identified biomarkers.
Epigenetic Upregulation of MAGE-A Isoforms Promotes Breast Cancer Cell Aggressiveness
Authors: Oh Chaeun , Kim Hwa-Ryeon , Oh Sumin , Ko Je Yeong , Kim Yesol , Kang Keunsoo , Yang Young , Kim Jongmin , Park Jong Hoon , Roe Jae-Seok , Yoo Kyung Hyun
Published: June 2021

After decades-long efforts to diagnose and treat breast cancer, the management strategy that has proved most successful to date is molecular-subtype-specific inhibition of the hormone receptors and HER2 that are expressed by individual cancers. Melanoma-associated antigen (MAGE) proteins comprise >40 highly conserved members that contain the MAGE homology domain. They are often overexpressed in multiple cancers and contribute to cancer progression and metastasis. However, it remains unclear whether the biological activity arising from MAGE gene expression is associated with breast cancer subtypes. In this study, we analyzed the RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data of 70 breast cancer cell lines and found that MAGEA12 and MAGEA3 were highly expressed in a subset of these lines. Significantly, MAGEA12 and MAGEA3 expression levels were independent of hormone receptor expression levels but were closely associated with markers of active histone modifications. This indicates that overexpression of these genes is attributable to epigenetic deregulation. RNA-seq of MAGEA12-depleted cells was then used to identify 382 candidate targets of MAGEA12 that were downregulated by MAGEA12 depletion. Furthermore, our gain-of-function experiments showed that MAGEA12 overexpression promoted aggressive behaviors of malignant breast cancer cells, including enhancing their cell migration and invasion. These changes were associated with increased epigenetic deregulation of the MAGEA12 signature genes. Thus, MAGEA12 may play an important role in breast cancer malignancy. Taken together, our findings suggest that MAGEA12 could be a promising therapeutic target in breast cancer, and its overexpression and epigenetic changes could serve as subtype classification biomarkers.
Probiotics: A Promising Candidate for Management of Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Tripathy Ashutosh , Dash Jayalaxmi , Kancharla Sudhakar , Kolli Prachetha , Mahajan Deviyani , Senapati Shantibhusan , Jena Manoj Kumar
Published: June 2021

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the World’s third most frequently diagnosed cancer type. It accounted for about 9.4% mortality out of the total incidences of cancer in the year 2020. According to estimated facts by World Health Organization (WHO), by 2030, 27 million new CRC cases, 17 million deaths, and around 75 million people living with the disease will appear. The facts and evidence that establish a link between the intestinal microflora and the occurrence of CRC are quite intuitive. Current shortcomings of chemo- and radiotherapies and the unavailability of appropriate treatment strategies for CRC are becoming the driving force to search for an alternative approach for the prevention, therapy, and management of CRC. Probiotics have been used for a long time due to their beneficial health effects, and now, it has become a popular candidate for the preventive and therapeutic treatment of CRC. The probiotics adopt different strategies such as the improvement of the intestinal barrier function, balancing of natural gut microflora, secretion of anticancer compounds, and degradation of carcinogenic compounds, which are useful in the prophylactic treatment of CRC. The pro-apoptotic ability of probiotics against cancerous cells makes them a potential therapeutic candidate against cancer diseases. Moreover, the immunomodulatory properties of probiotics have created interest among researchers to explore the therapeutic strategy by activating the immune system against cancerous cells. The present review discusses in detail different strategies and mechanisms of probiotics towards the prevention and treatment of CRC.
Serum Amyloid A Proteins and Their Impact on Metastasis and Immune Biology in Cancer
Authors: Lee Jesse , Beatty Gregory L.
Published: June 2021

Cancer triggers the systemic release of inflammatory molecules that support cancer cell metastasis and immune evasion. Notably, this biology shows striking similarity to an acute phase response that is coordinated by the liver. Consistent with this, a role for the liver in defining cancer biology is becoming increasingly appreciated. Understanding the mechanisms that link acute phase biology to metastasis and immune evasion in cancer may reveal vulnerable pathways and novel therapeutic targets. Herein, we discuss a link between acute phase biology and cancer with a focus on serum amyloid A proteins and their involvement in regulating the metastatic cascade and cancer immunobiology.
Requirements for Designing an Effective Metallic Nanoparticle (NP)-Boosted Radiation Therapy (RT)
Authors: Tremi Ioanna , Spyratou Ellas , Souli Maria , Efstathopoulos Efstathios P. , Makropoulou Mersini , Georgakilas Alexandros G. , Sihver Lembit
Published: June 2021

Many different tumor-targeted strategies are under development worldwide to limit the side effects and improve the effectiveness of cancer therapies. One promising method is to enhance the radiosensitization of the cancer cells while reducing or maintaining the normal tissue complication probability during radiation therapy using metallic nanoparticles (NPs). Radiotherapy with MV photons is more commonly available and applied in cancer clinics than high LET particle radiotherapy, so the addition of high-Z NPs has the potential to further increase the efficacy of photon radiotherapy in terms of NP radiosensitization. Generally, when using X-rays, mainly the inner electron shells are ionized, which creates cascades of both low and high energy Auger electrons. When using high LET particles, mainly the outer shells are ionized, which give electrons with lower energies than when using X-rays. The amount of the produced low energy electrons is higher when exposing NPs to heavy charged particles than when exposing them to X-rays. Since ions traverse the material along tracks, and therefore give rise to a much more inhomogeneous dose distributions than X-rays, there might be a need to introduce a higher number of NPs when using ions compared to when using X-rays to create enough primary and secondary electrons to get the desired dose escalations. This raises the questions of toxicity. This paper provides a review of the fundamental processes controlling the outcome of metallic NP-boosted photon beam and ion beam radiation therapy and presents some experimental procedures to study the biological effects of NPs’ radiosensitization. The overview shows the need for more systematic studies of the behavior of NPs when exposed to different kinds of ionizing radiation before applying metallic-based NPs in clinical practice to improve the effect of IR therapy.
The Influence of Mitochondrial Dynamics and Function on Retinal Ganglion Cell Susceptibility in Optic Nerve Disease
Authors: Muench Nicole A. , Patel Sonia , Maes Margaret E. , Donahue Ryan J. , Ikeda Akihiro , Nickells Robert W.
Published: June 2021

The important roles of mitochondrial function and dysfunction in the process of neurodegeneration are widely acknowledged. Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) appear to be a highly vulnerable neuronal cell type in the central nervous system with respect to mitochondrial dysfunction but the actual reasons for this are still incompletely understood. These cells have a unique circumstance where unmyelinated axons must bend nearly 90° to exit the eye and then cross a translaminar pressure gradient before becoming myelinated in the optic nerve. This region, the optic nerve head, contains some of the highest density of mitochondria present in these cells. Glaucoma represents a perfect storm of events occurring at this location, with a combination of changes in the translaminar pressure gradient and reassignment of the metabolic support functions of supporting glia, which appears to apply increased metabolic stress to the RGC axons leading to a failure of axonal transport mechanisms. However, RGCs themselves are also extremely sensitive to genetic mutations, particularly in genes affecting mitochondrial dynamics and mitochondrial clearance. These mutations, which systemically affect the mitochondria in every cell, often lead to an optic neuropathy as the sole pathologic defect in affected patients. This review summarizes knowledge of mitochondrial structure and function, the known energy demands of neurons in general, and places these in the context of normal and pathological characteristics of mitochondria attributed to RGCs.
Chronic Nonbacterial Osteomyelitis in Children
Authors: Koryllou Aikaterini , Mejbri Manel , Theodoropoulou Katerina , Hofer Michael , Carlomagno Raffaella
Published: June 2021

Chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis (CNO) is an auto-inflammatory bone disorder with a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations, from unifocal to multifocal lesions. When it manifests with multifocal lesions, it is also referred to as chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO). CNO/CRMO can affect all age groups, with the pediatric population being the most common. Patients may present with systemic inflammation, but there is no pathognomonic laboratory finding. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold standard radiological tool for diagnosis. In the absence of validated diagnostic criteria, CNO/CRMO remains an exclusion diagnosis. Bone biopsy does not show a specific disease pattern, but it may be necessary in unifocal or atypical cases to differentiate it from malignancy or infection. First-line treatments are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), while bisphosphonates or TNF-α blockers can be used in refractory cases. The disease course is unpredictable, and uncontrolled lesions can complicate with bone fractures and deformations, underlying the importance of long-term follow-up in these patients.
LED Light Improved by an Optical Filter to Visible Solar-Like Light with High Color Rendering
Authors: Shen Li-Siang , Wu Hsing-Yu , Hsiao Li-Jen , Shih Chih-Hsuan , Hsu Jin-Cherng
Published: June 2021

In this study, a new, cost-effective, rapid, and easy method to produce a sunlight-like D65 light source from a typical white light-emitting diode (LED) is discussed. The novelty of this method is that the emission spectrum of a typical white LED is measured first, then the reverse spectrum is used to design and fabricate a double-sided multilayer coating filter to set in front of the typical white LED. This can be verified experimentally to improve the color-rendering index of the white LED to 95.8 at the D65 color temperature. The optical thicknesses of the multilayer film are designed at a quarter wavelength. The layer-thickness errors during the deposition process are reduced due to easy monitoring with the turning-point method. By lowering both the cost and level of technology required to produce D65 light sources, in addition to the most direct consequences of increased D65 availability and affordability, the cost and level of technology required for research that heavily utilizes D65 light sources can also be lowered in turn, especially in the fields of clinical science, medicine, and related industries.
Response to Combination of Pembrolizumab and Axitinib in Hereditary Leyomiomatosis and Renal Cell Cancer (HLRCC)
Authors: Gurruchaga Sotés Ibon , Alves Ana Nuño , Arregui Sandra Vicente , Santander Lobera Carmen
Published: June 2021

In current clinical guidelines, such as those provided by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), evidence for treatment is based on a small clinical trial that included patients with HLRCC. They support the use of the combination of erlotinib and bevacizumab as the first therapeutic option in this rare condition. In the present study, we report a rare case of this condition in an 18-year-old male with a family history of kidney cancer whom we successfully treated with surgery and a novel drug treatment modality based on the combination of an immune check-point inhibitor (ICPI) and a tyrosine-kinase inhibitor (TKI) with excellent and promising results.
Joint Resource Allocation for Multiuser Opportunistic Beamforming Systems with OFDM-NOMA
Authors: Sun Wen-Bin , Tao Ming-Liang , Wang Ling , Yang Xin , Zhou Rui-Zhe , Yang Zi-Xiong
Published: June 2021

Opportunistic beamforming (OBF) is an effective technique to improve the spectrum efficiencies (SEs) of multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) systems, which can obtain multiuser diversity gains with both low computation complexity and feedback information. To serve multiple users simultaneously, many multiple-access schemes have been researched in OBF. However, for most of the multiple-access schemes, the SEs are not satisfactory. To further improve the SE, this paper proposes a downlink multiuser OBF system, where both orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) and non-orthogonal multiple-access (NOMA) methods are applied. The closed-form expressions of the equivalent channels and SE are derived in frequency selective fading channels. Then, an optimization problem is formulated to maximize the SE, although the optimization problem is non-convex and hard to solve. To obtain the solution, we divide the optimization problem into two suboptimal issues, and then a joint iterative algorithm is applied. In the proposed optimization scheme, the subcarrier mapping ϑ, user pairing knc and allocated power Pknc are determined to maximize spectrum efficiency (SE) and reduce bit error ratio (BER). According to numerical results, the proposed method achieves approximately 5 dB gain on both SE and BER, compared to the existing beamforming methods with low feedback information. Moreover, the SE of the proposed method is approximately 2 (bps/Hz) higher than sparse code multiple-access (SCMA), when the number of waiting users and the ratio of transmit power to noise variance are respectively 10 and 20 dB. It is indicated that the proposed scheme can achieve high and low BER with the limited feedback and computation complexity, regardless of the transmit power and the number of waiting users.
Work from Home: Measuring Satisfaction between Work–Life Balance and Work Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Indonesia
Authors: Irawanto Dodi , Novianti Khusnul , Roz Kenny
Published: June 2021

Coronavirus (COVID-19), which hit in early 2020, changed the way people live and work, and affected industries and organizations all over the world. Many organizations have begun to deliver a new way of working to adapt to these shifts effectively using teleworking or a work from home policy. The purpose of this study was to fill the gaps by investigating several potential predictors of job satisfaction during working from home from the impact of COVID-19 such as work–life balance and work stress. Using a quantitative approach, 472 workers who were forced to work from home all over Indonesia participated, and the responses were analyzed using Smart-PLS software. The study revealed that working from home, work–life balance, and work stress have a significant effect, both directly and indirectly, on job satisfaction. Working from home as a new pace of work can sustain job satisfaction as the current working atmosphere for Indonesian workers. In response to the collectivist setting, working from home can be a positive sign that needs to be paid attention to for the organization.
High Voltage Insulating Materials—Current State and Prospects
Authors: Rozga Pawel , Beroual Abderahhmane
Published: June 2021

Progression in the field of insulating materials for power transformers and other high voltage devices is visible regardless of the type of insulation: solid, liquid, or gas [...]
Economic Determinants of Low-Carbon Development in the Visegrad Group Countries
Authors: Dzikuć Maciej , Wyrobek Joanna , Popławski Łukasz
Published: June 2021

Low-carbon development is one of the more significant problems of the Visegrad Group countries (Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary). It is related, among others, to the improvement of life quality in economic terms while taking into account activities for environmental protection. The aim of the article is to identify and explain the problems connected with low-carbon development. The purpose of the analyses is also to prove the negative impact of the emission of greenhouse gas emission (GHG) and other harmful substances into the air on the quality of human life and the natural environment. During the research, an assessment of the eco-efficiency of the used energy resources and technologies that negatively affect the environment was carried out. Moreover, the paper also presents methods to use greener energy sources and analyses the potential of implementing solutions supporting low-carbon development. The study recommends actions that may contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. These include the limitation of the use of fossil fuels for the benefit of renewable energy and the development of distributed energy.
Fault Ride Through in Grid Integrated Hybrid System Using FACTS Device and Electric Vehicle Charging Station
Authors: R. Uthra , D. Suchitra
Published: June 2021

Adopting eco-friendly solutions is the need of the hour in order to downscale carbon emissions and the fast depletion of fossil fuels. Hybrid energy systems provide one such optimistic sustainable solution for power generation in a grid integrated system as well as for stand-alone applications. With grid integrated systems, there are many grid codes to be maintained such as voltage stability, frequency deviation and Fault Ride Through Capability (FRT). In a hybrid system, the propensity of the PV/Wind system to remain connected at the moment of short electric fault is identified as FRT. This paper elucidates the voltage compensation using an Electric Vehicle (EV) charging station or a Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS) device depending on the intensity of fault that occurs at the Point of Common Coupling (PCC) in grid integrated hybrid systems. When a fault occurs at the PCC, depending on the intensity of the voltage sag either the EV charging station or a FACTS device, namely a Dynamic Voltage Restore (DVR), provides the voltage compensation. The voltage obtained from an EV charging station or DVR is conditioned using power converters and fed to the PCC to even out the discrepancy in the voltage that is effected due to the fault. Even though charges electric vehicles continuously, the EV charging station gives priority to supply voltage for compensation whenever a fault occurs at the grid. If the intensity of voltage sag due to fault is between 0.9 to 0.51 p.u, the EV charging station provides voltage compensation, and for voltage sag between 0.5 to 0.2 p.u, DVR takes over to provide voltage compensation for the continuous sustainability of the grid. The proposed system makes use of an existing source such as an EV charging station as a supplementary device to provide compensation, and also has a backup supplementary device DVR in case of any non-availability of the EV charging station. Thus, the voltage compensation in turn facilitates the parameters such as DC link voltage and the grid voltage to stay within the pertinent limits in the event of a fault at the grid. The system was simulated using MATLAB Simulink and the results were verified.
Experimental Study of the Space–Time Effect of a Double-Pipe Frozen Curtain Formation with Different Groundwater Velocities
Authors: Sun Shicheng , Rong Chuanxin , Cheng Hua , Wang Bin , Jiang Xiaogang , Zhang Wei , Halliru Yunusa
Published: June 2021

Groundwater velocity has significant effects on the formation of a frozen curtain during freezing. In order to study the influence of the velocity on a frozen curtain, a large physical model test platform was established for double-pipe freezing. Based on this platform, freezing tests for different velocities were carried out. Quartz sand was selected as a similar material. The freezing temperature of the saturated sand layer was found by analyzing the results of the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Based on the study of the thermal physical properties of the sand layer, the freezing test results were analyzed, and the results showed that the flow led to the differential development of the temperature between the upstream and downstream sections of the freezing pipes. Moreover, the larger the velocity, the greater the difference. The flow prolonged the overlapping time of the frozen curtains. Additionally, the flow slowed down the development of the frozen curtain area and the frozen curtain thickness. The larger the flow velocity, the greater the inhibition of the flow on the development of the frozen curtain. The test results can provide more references for the design and construction of freezing engineering with flowing groundwater.
Verification of MPACT for the APR1400 Benchmark
Authors: Barr Kaitlyn Elizabeth , Choi Sooyoung , Kang Junsu , Kochunas Brendan
Published: June 2021

This paper describes benchmark calculations for the APR1400 nuclear reactor performed using the high-fidelity deterministic whole-core simulator MPACT compared to reference solutions generated by the Monte Carlo code McCARD. The methodology presented in this paper is a common approach in the field of nuclear reactor analysis, when measured data are not available for comparison, and may be more broadly applied in other simulation applications of energy systems. The benchmark consists of several problems that span the complexity of single pins to a hot full power cycle depletion. Overall, MPACT shows excellent agreement compared to the reference solutions. MPACT effectively predicts the reactivity for different geometries and several temperature and boron conditions. The largest deviation from McCARD occurs for cold zero conditions in which the fuel, moderator, and cladding are all 300 K. Possible reasons for this are discussed. Excluding these cases, the ρ reactivity difference from McCARD is consistently below 100 pcm. For single fuel pin problems, the highest error of 151 pcm occurs for the lowest fuel enrichment of 1.71 wt.% UO2, indicating possible, albeit small, enrichment bias in MPACT’s cross-section library. Furthermore, MOC and spatial mesh parametric studies indicate that default meshing parameters and options yield results comparable to finely meshed cases. Additionally, there is very good agreement of the radial and axial power distributions. RMS radial pin and assembly power differences for all cases are at or below 0.75%, and all RMS axial power differences are below 1.65%. These results are comparable to previous results from the VERA progression problems benchmark and meet generally accepted accuracy criteria for whole-core transport codes.