bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular Assessments, Statistical Effectiveness Parameters and Genetic Structure of Captive Populations of Tursiops truncatus Using 15 STRs
Authors: Gómez Rocío , Neri-Bazán Rocío M. , Posadas-Mondragon Araceli , Vizcaíno-Dorado Pablo A. , Magaña Jonathan J. , Aguilar-Faisal José Leopoldo
Published: July 2022

Genetic analysis is a conventional way of identifying and monitoring captive and wildlife species. Knowledge of statistical parameters reinforcing their usefulness and effectiveness as powerful tools for preserving diversity is crucial. Although several studies have reported the diversity of cetaceans such as Tursiops truncatus using microsatellites, its informative degree has been poorly reported. Furthermore, the genetic structure of this cetacean has not been fully studied. In the present study, we selected 15 microsatellites with which 210 dolphins were genetically characterized using capillary electrophoresis. The genetic assertiveness of this set of hypervariable markers identified one individual in the range of 6.927e13 to 1.806e16, demonstrating its substantial capability in kinship relationships. The genetic structure of these 210 dolphins was also determined regarding the putative capture origin; a genetic stratification (k = 2) was found. An additional dolphin group of undetermined origin was also characterized to challenge the proficiency of our chosen markers. The set of markers proposed herein could be a helpful tool to guarantee the maintenance of the genetic diversity rates in conservation programs both in Tursiops truncatus and across other odontocetes, Mysticeti and several genera of endangered and vulnerable species.
Expression and Characterization of the Spats1 Gene and Its Response to E2/MT Treatment in the Chinese Soft-Shelled Turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis)
Authors: Lei Luo , Zhu Junxian , Chen Chen , Wang Yakun , Hong Xiaoyou , Liu Xiaoli , Yu Lingyun , Wei Chengqing , Chen Haigang , Liu Yihui , Li Ruiyang , Li Wei , Zhu Xinping
Published: July 2022

Spats1 (spermatogenesis-associated, serinerich 1) has been characterized as a male-biased gene which acts an important role in the germ cell differentiation of mammals. Nevertheless, the function of Spats1 in the Chinese soft-shelled turtle (P. sinensis) has not yet been reported. To initially explore the expression of Spats1 in P. sinensis and its response to sex steroid treatment, we cloned the CDS of Spats1 for the first time and analyzed its expression profile in different tissues, including the testes in different seasons. The Spats1 cDNA fragment is 1201 base pairs (bp) in length and contains an open reading frame (ORF) of 849 bp, which codes for 283 amino acids. Spats1 mRNA was highly expressed in the testes (p < 0.01) and barely detectable in other tissues. In P. sinensis, the relative expression of Spats1 also responsive to seasonal changes in testis development. In summer (July) and autumn (October), Spats1 gene expression was significantly higher in the testes than in other seasons (p < 0.05). Spats1 mRNA was found to be specifically expressed in germ cells by chemical in situ hybridization (CISH), and it was mainly located in primary spermatocytes (Sc1), secondary spermatocytes (Sc2) and spermatozoa (St). Spats1 expression in embryos was not significantly changed after 17α-methyltestosterone (MT)and 17β-estradiol (E2) treatment. In adults, MT significantly induced Spats1 expression in male P. sinensis. However, the expression of Spats1 in testes was not responsive to E2 treatment. In addition, the expression of Spats1 in females was not affected by either MT or E2 treatment. These results imply that Spats1 is a male-specific expressed gene that is mainly regulated by MT and is closely linked to spermatogenesis and release in P. sinensis.
Sign Language Gesture Recognition with Convolutional-Type Features on Ensemble Classifiers and Hybrid Artificial Neural Network
Authors: Jana Ayanabha , Krishnakumar Shridevi S.
Published: July 2022

The proposed research deals with constructing a sign gesture recognition system to enable improved interaction between sign and non-sign users. With respect to this goal, five types of features are utilized—hand coordinates, convolutional features, convolutional features with finger angles, convolutional features on hand edges and convolutional features on binary robust invariant scalable keypoints—and trained on ensemble classifiers to accurately predict the label of the sign image provided as input. In addition, a hybrid artificial neural network is also fabricated that takes two of the aforementioned features, namely convolutional features and convolutional features on hand edges to precisely locate the hand region of the sign gesture under consideration in an attempt for classification. Experiments are also performed with convolutional neural networks on those benchmark datasets which are not accurately classified by the previous two methods. Overall, the proposed methodologies are able to handle a diverse variety of images that include labyrinthine backgrounds, user-specific distinctions, minuscule discrepancies between classes and image alterations. As a result, they are able to produce accuracies comparable with state-of-the-art literature.
Differentiation of Occlusal Discolorations and Carious Lesions with Hyperspectral Imaging In Vitro
Authors: Vosahlo Robin , Golde Jonas , Walther Julia , Koch Edmund , Hannig Christian , Tetschke Florian
Published: July 2022

Stains and stained incipient lesions can be challenging to differentiate with established clinical tools. New diagnostic techniques are required for improved distinction to enable early noninvasive treatment. This in vitro study evaluates the performance of artificial intelligence (AI)-based classification of hyperspectral imaging data for early occlusal lesion detection and differentiation from stains. Sixty-five extracted permanent human maxillary and mandibular bicuspids and molars (International Caries Detection and Assessment System [ICDAS] II 0–4) were imaged with a hyperspectral camera (Diaspective Vision TIVITA® Tissue, Diaspective Vision, Pepelow, Germany) at a distance of 350 mm, acquiring spatial and spectral information in the wavelength range 505–1000 nm; 650 fissural spectra were used to train classification algorithms (models) for automated distinction between stained but sound enamel and stained lesions. Stratified 10-fold cross-validation was used. The model with the highest classification performance, a fine k-nearest neighbor classification algorithm, was used to classify five additional tooth fissural areas. Polarization microscopy of ground sections served as reference. Compared to stained lesions, stained intact enamel showed higher reflectance in the wavelength range 525–710 nm but lower reflectance in the wavelength range 710–1000 nm. A fine k-nearest neighbor classification algorithm achieved the highest performance with a Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) of 0.75, a sensitivity of 0.95 and a specificity of 0.80 when distinguishing between intact stained and stained lesion spectra. The superposition of color-coded classification results on further tooth occlusal projections enabled qualitative assessment of the entire fissure’s enamel health. AI-based evaluation of hyperspectral images is highly promising as a complementary method to visual and radiographic examination for early occlusal lesion detection.
A Review of Sound Field Control
Authors: Yang Jun , Wu Ming , Han Lu
Published: July 2022

Sound field control (SFC) technology enables the active management of audio delivered within an acoustical environment. It includes three research directions: sound field reproduction, personal audio systems, and active noise control. Sound field reproduction uses loudspeaker arrays to replicate a sound field in a target region; personal audio systems extend sound field reproduction over multiple regions so that different listeners can hear personalized audio in a shared space; and active noise control aims to cancel the original sound field in the target area by generating a secondary sound field. In this paper, we briefly review the advances of the three different types of techniques with a discussion of their algorithms and applications.
ECC: Passenger Counting in the Elevator Using Commodity WiFi
Authors: Ma Xiaoyu , Xi Wei , Chen Zuhao , Hao Han , Zhao Jizhong
Published: July 2022

Elevators have become a kind of indispensable facility for everyday life, which bring people both convenience and safety hazards. Specifically in the household environment, an elevator’s lifespan is expected to be more than 20 years. An appropriate and regularly maintained counterweight is conducive to extending elevator life. This paper proposes a passenger counting approach in the elevator for regular counterweight adjustment based on commodity WiFi called ECC. Since the running time of the elevator between two adjacent floors is short, the major challenge of ECC is how to count passengers from the limited captured data. This paper first theoretically analyzes the relationship between the number of passengers and the variation of channel state information (CSI). Then ECC constructs a multi-dimensional feature by extracting the average of amplitude (AOA), time-varying spectrum (TVS), and percentage of non-zero elements (PEM) features from the limited data. Finally, the random forest (RF) classifier is used for passenger counting and the local optimization problem is solved by expanding the feature dataset through data segmentation. ECC is implemented by using off-the-shelf IEEE 802.11n devices, and its performance is evaluated via extensive experiments in typical real-world scenes. The estimated precision of ECC can reach more than 95%, and more than 97% of estimation errors are less than 2 persons, which demonstrates the superior effectiveness and generalizability of ECC.
The Influence of Location along the Pseudostem on Enset Fiber Physio-Mechanical Properties: Application of Weibull Distribution Statistics
Authors: Dessie Esubalew , Tesfaye Tamrat , Gideon Rotich Kipchirchir , Tadesse Melkie Getnet , Qiu Yiping
Published: July 2022

Enset bundle fibers were divided lengthwise into four sections from bottom to top and the sections’ physio-mechanical parameters were studied and compared. The four equal fiber sections from the bottom were 0–375 mm (EV-I), 375–750 mm (EV-II), 750 mm–1125 mm (EV-III), and 1125–1500 mm (EV-IV). The mass distribution, cross-sectional area, linear density, and diameter all decreased along the fiber sections from bottom to top. The CIE Lab-color values of each fiber section were also examined, and the L* value for EV-II fiber section was higher. In terms of mechanical properties, the Enset bundle fiber’s tensile strength and work of rupture were analyzed, and both increased by 25% from the lower fiber section to the second fiber section (EV-1 to EV-II) along the length before decreasing significantly at the top sections. The investigation indicated that a higher Weibull modulus and tensile strength characteristics for EV-II were recorded while a low Weibull modulus and low strength characteristics of the Enset bundle fiber section EV-IV were observed. The investigation of Weibull distribution variability in the EV-IV fiber location was also confirmed using one-way ANOVA. Overall, the present study investigates the impact of fiber position along the plant stem on the mechanical and physical properties of Enset bundle fibers which can be used as an input for the optimization of unidirectional composites.
Parameter Identification of Lithium Battery Model Based on Chaotic Quantum Sparrow Search Algorithm
Authors: Hou Jing , Wang Xin , Su Yanping , Yang Yan , Gao Tian
Published: July 2022

An accurate battery model is of great importance for battery state estimation. This study considers the parameter identification of a fractional-order model (FOM) of the battery, which can more realistically describe the reaction process of the cell and provide more precise predictions. Firstly, an improved sparrow search algorithm combined with the Tent chaotic mapping, quantum behavior strategy and Gaussian variation is proposed to regulate the early population quality, enhance its global search ability and avoid trapping into local optima. The effectiveness and superiority are verified by comparing the proposed chaotic quantum sparrow search algorithm (CQSSA) with the particle swarm optimization (PSO), genetic algorithm (GA), grey wolf optimization algorithm (GWO), Dingo optimization algorithm (DOA) and sparrow search algorithm (SSA) on benchmark functions. Secondly, the parameters of the FOM battery model are identified using six algorithms under the hybrid pulse power characterization (HPPC) test. Compared with SSA, CQSSA has 4.3%, 5.9% and 11.5% improvement in mean absolute error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE) and maximum absolute error (MaAE), respectively. Furthermore, these parameters are used in the pulsed discharge test (PULSE) and urban dynamometer driving schedule (UDDS) test to verify the adaptability of the proposed algorithm. Simulation results show that the model parameters identified by the CQSSA algorithm perform well in terms of the MAE, RMSE and MaAE of the terminal voltages under all three different tests, demonstrating the high accuracy and good adaptability of the proposed algorithm.
Forecasting Transmission and Distribution System Flexibility Needs for Severe Weather Condition Resilience and Outage Management
Authors: Zafeiropoulou Magda , Mentis Ioannis , Sijakovic Nenad , Terzic Aleksandar , Fotis Georgios , Maris Theodoros I. , Vita Vasiliki , Zoulias Emmanouil , Ristic Vladan , Ekonomou Lambros
Published: July 2022

With the increase in the complexity of the topology of transmission and distribution systems, associated with the predictability in the management of the dispatch of prosumers, new techniques for state estimation, and application of metaheuristics are necessary. In the current work a pilot project in Greece that addresses the difficulties of congestion and balancing management that system operators face in the renewable energy sources era, in accordance with the OneNet’s architecture is described. Available resources of grid’s flexibility are identified, and the implementation of an integrated monitoring system based on weather conditions with an energy control and dispatch system in the Greek electricity grid is addressed. The document suggests that flexibility resources will derive through predictions that have been improved and efficient forecasts from increased spatial resolution Numerical Weather Predictions and integration of Artificial Intelligence preventing the power system of entering dangerous topological or operational states.
Current Conditions and Projected Changes in Crop Water Demand, Irrigation Requirement, and Water Availability over West Africa
Authors: Gbode Imoleayo Ezekiel , Diro Gulilat Tefera , Intsiful Joseph Daniel , Dudhia Jimy
Published: July 2022

Climate variability and change greatly affect agricultural and water resource management over West Africa. This paper presents the current characteristics and projected change in regional crop water demand (CWD), irrigation requirement (IR), and water availability (WA) over West Africa. Observed and simulated daily rainfall, minimum temperature, maximum temperature, and evapotranspiration are used to derive the above agro-meteorological and hydrological variables. For future periods, high-resolution climate data from three regional climate models under two different scenarios, i.e., representative concentration pathway (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5, are considered. Evaluation of the characteristics of present-day CWD, IR, and WA indicated that the ensemble mean of the model-derived outputs reproduced the prevailing spatial patterns of CWD and IR. Moreover, the wetter part of the domain, especially along the southern coast, was correctly delineated from the drier northern regions, despite having biases. The ensemble model also simulated the annual cycle of water supply and the bimodal pattern of the water demand curves correctly. In terms of future projections, the outcomes from the study suggest an average increase in the CWD by up to 0.808 mm/day and IR by 1.244 mm/day towards the end of the twenty-first century, compared to the baseline period. The hot-spot areas, where there is higher projected increment in CWD and IR, are over Senegal, Southern Mali, and Western Burkina Faso. In most cases, WA is projected to decrease towards the end of the twenty-first century by −0.418 mm/day. The largest decline in WA is found to be over Guinea and most of the eastern parts of West Africa. Despite the current under-utilization of the existing groundwater resources, the threat of global warming in reducing future WA and increasing CWD suggested caution on the scale of irrigation schemes and management strategies. The outcomes from the study could be a crucial input for the agricultural and water managers for introducing effective measures to ensure sustainability of irrigated farm lands.
The Influence of the Bottle’s Price and Label Reported Information on the Perception of the Minerality Attribute in White Wines
Authors: Zaldívar Santamaría Elvira , Molina Dagá David , Palacios García Antonio Tomás
Published: July 2022

The use of the descriptor “minerality” in a wine has increased in the last few years. This term is frequently used to describe wines closely associated with their terroir. This concept represents the complete natural environment in which a particular wine is produced, including factors such as the soil, topography and climate. In addition, the term “minerality” is frequently used to increase the price of the bottle. However, little is known regarding how this complex concept is perceived by consumers and whether they use this extrinsic information related to the term “minerality” in the purchasing process. The aim of this study is to understand how the term “minerality” could influence consumers when they purchase wine when this descriptor is included as an extrinsic characteristic on the label and in the price of the bottle. For this purpose, the so-called CATA (check-all-that-apply) methodology was used with a panel of 25 judges in order to define the attributes that a “mineral” wine should contain in order to be chosen and if the information displayed on the label and the price could influence consumers in that process. This technique is a dynamic sensory evaluation in which participants select the terms they consider apply at each moment from a list of attributes and deselect them when they no longer apply. The judges blindly tasted two different white wines in eight different glasses displayed with different label information related or not with terms associated with the minerality concept. In a second round, judges tried six glasses presented with the only information of the bottle’s price. In both tasting sessions, the used list of descriptors contained 44 terms, 16 of which were related to the attribute of minerality, 13 were considered antonyms of such a descriptor and 15 referred to extrinsic aspects. The results showed that consumers were not directly influenced by the label reported information or the bottle´s price when they described a wine as mineral. Finally, the statistical evaluation conducted by the CATA analysis divided the list of 44 used terms by their range of importance when a wine is described as mineral. The terms were divided into those that help to classify a wine as mineral and those that are antagonistic to this concept.
Fewer Dimensions, More Structures for Improved Discrete Models of Dynamics of Free versus Antigen-Bound Antibody
Authors: Kabir Kazi Lutful , Ma Buyong , Nussinov Ruth , Shehu Amarda
Published: July 2022

Over the past decade, Markov State Models (MSM) have emerged as powerful methodologies to build discrete models of dynamics over structures obtained from Molecular Dynamics trajectories. The identification of macrostates for the MSM is a central decision that impacts the quality of the MSM but depends on both the selected representation of a structure and the clustering algorithm utilized over the featurized structures. Motivated by a large molecular system in its free and bound state, this paper investigates two directions of research, further reducing the representation dimensionality in a non-parametric, data-driven manner and including more structures in the computation. Rigorous evaluation of the quality of obtained MSMs via various statistical tests in a comparative setting firmly shows that fewer dimensions and more structures result in a better MSM. Many interesting findings emerge from the best MSM, advancing our understanding of the relationship between antibody dynamics and antibody–antigen recognition.
Clustering Diseases in Cancer and Health Organization: What Is the Gold-Standard Approach?
Authors: Ciarambino Tiziana , Crispino Pietro , Para Ombretta , Giordano Mauro
Published: July 2022

Cancer is a chronic disease with long-term consequences for health and quality of life and is more prevalent among older people. Therefore, comorbidity among cancer patients is commonly observed. Several data indicate that 40% of cancer patients have at least one other chronic condition recorded, and of these, 15% have two or more medical conditions, including cardiovascular disease, obesity and metabolic disease, mental health problems, and muscle-skeletal conditions. There is no gold-standard approach for measuring comorbidity in the context of cancer, especially in recent years, when health systems have dealt with a pandemic emergency that has negatively impacted the management of cancer patients. The purpose of this narrative review is to clarify and provide the necessary insights to optimize the care of cancer patients. Ensuring the continuum of care for cancer patients is of vital importance and is considered a top priority. It is necessary to overcome the model that considers neoplastic pathology as a single morbid condition. Instead, the complexity of a cancer patient’s problems must be considered and related to complex medical conditions. Addressing the problem of comorbidity in cancer more decisively will be a central challenge if we are to avert a crisis in the models of diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients.
Enhancement of Osteoblast Function through Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Adipose-Derived Stem Cells
Authors: Ho Mei-Ling , Hsu Chin-Jung , Wu Che-Wei , Chang Ling-Hua , Chen Jhen-Wei , Chen Chung-Hwan , Huang Kui-Chou , Chang Je-Ken , Wu Shun-Cheng , Shao Pei-Lin
Published: July 2022

Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are a type of mesenchymal stem cell that is investigated in bone tissue engineering (BTE). Osteoblasts are the main cells responsible for bone formation in vivo and directing ADSCs to form osteoblasts through osteogenesis is a research topic in BTE. In addition to the osteogenesis of ADSCs into osteoblasts, the crosstalk of ADSCs with osteoblasts through the secretion of extracellular vesicles (EVs) may also contribute to bone formation in ADSC-based BTE. We investigated the effect of ADSC-secreted EVs (ADSC-EVs) on osteoblast function. ADSC-EVs (size ≤ 1000 nm) were isolated from the culture supernatant of ADSCs through ultracentrifugation. The ADSC-EVs were observed to be spherical under a transmission electron microscope. The ADSC-EVs were positive for CD9, CD81, and Alix, but β-actin was not detected. ADSC-EV treatment did not change survival but did increase osteoblast proliferation and activity. The 48 most abundant known microRNAs (miRNAs) identified within the ADSC-EVs were selected and then subjected to gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses. The GO analysis revealed that these miRNAs are highly relevant to skeletal system morphogenesis and bone development. The KEGG analysis indicated that these miRNAs may regulate osteoblast function through autophagy or the mitogen-activated protein kinase or Ras-related protein 1 signaling pathway. These results suggest that ADSC-EVs enhance osteoblast function and can contribute to bone regeneration in ADSC-based BTE.
Impact of R-Carvedilol on β2-Adrenergic Receptor-Mediated Spontaneous Calcium Release in Human Atrial Myocytes
Authors: Casabella-Ramón Sergi , Jiménez-Sábado Verónica , Tarifa Carmen , Casellas Sandra , Lu Tien Tina , Izquierdo-Castro Paloma , Gich Ignasi , Jiménez Marcel , Ginel Antonino , Guerra José M. , Chen S. R. Wayne , Benítez Raul , Hove-Madsen Leif
Published: July 2022

A hallmark of atrial fibrillation is an excess of spontaneous calcium release events, which can be mimicked by β1- or β2-adrenergic stimulation. Because β1-adrenergic receptor blockers (β1-blockers) are primarily used in clinical practice, we here examined the impact of β2-adrenergic stimulation on spontaneous calcium release and assessed whether the R- and S-enantiomers of the non-selective β- blocker carvedilol could reverse these effects. For this purpose, human atrial myocytes were isolated from patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery and subjected to confocal calcium imaging or immunofluorescent labeling of the ryanodine receptor (RyR2). Interestingly, the β2-adrenergic agonist fenoterol increased the incidence of calcium sparks and waves to levels observed with the non-specific β-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol. Moreover, fenoterol increased both the amplitude and duration of the sparks, facilitating their fusion into calcium waves. Subsequent application of the non β-blocking R-Carvedilol enantiomer reversed these effects of fenoterol in a dose-dependent manner. R-Carvedilol also reversed the fenoterol-induced phosphorylation of the RyR2 at Ser-2808 dose-dependently, and 1 µM of either R- or S-Carvedilol fully reversed the effect of fenoterol. Together, these findings demonstrate that β2-adrenergic stimulation alone stimulates RyR2 phosphorylation at Ser-2808 and spontaneous calcium release maximally, and points to carvedilol as a tool to attenuate the pathological activation of β2-receptors.
Biomarkers of Neurodegenerative Diseases: Biology, Taxonomy, Clinical Relevance, and Current Research Status
Authors: Koníčková Dorota , Menšíková Kateřina , Tučková Lucie , Hényková Eva , Strnad Miroslav , Friedecký David , Stejskal David , Matěj Radoslav , Kaňovský Petr
Published: July 2022

The understanding of neurodegenerative diseases, traditionally considered to be well-defined entities with distinguishable clinical phenotypes, has undergone a major shift over the last 20 years. The diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases primarily requires functional brain imaging techniques or invasive tests such as lumbar puncture to assess cerebrospinal fluid. A new biological approach and research efforts, especially in vivo, have focused on biomarkers indicating underlying proteinopathy in cerebrospinal fluid and blood serum. However, due to the complexity and heterogeneity of neurodegenerative processes within the central nervous system and the large number of overlapping clinical diagnoses, identifying individual proteinopathies is relatively difficult and often not entirely accurate. For this reason, there is an urgent need to develop laboratory methods for identifying specific biomarkers, understand the molecular basis of neurodegenerative disorders and classify the quantifiable and readily available tools that can accelerate efforts to translate the knowledge into disease-modifying therapies that can improve and simplify the areas of differential diagnosis, as well as monitor the disease course with the aim of estimating the prognosis or evaluating the effects of treatment. The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge about clinically relevant biomarkers in different neurodegenerative diseases.
Small Molecules and Immunotherapy Agents for Enhancing Radiotherapy in Glioblastoma
Authors: Matsui Jennifer K. , Perlow Haley K. , Ritter Alex R. , Upadhyay Rituraj , Raval Raju R. , Thomas Evan M. , Beyer Sasha J. , Pillainayagam Clement , Goranovich Justin , Ong Shirley , Giglio Pierre , Palmer Joshua D.
Published: July 2022

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive primary brain tumor that is associated with a poor prognosis and quality of life. The standard of care has changed minimally over the past two decades and currently consists of surgery followed by radiotherapy (RT), concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide, and tumor treating fields (TTF). Factors such as tumor hypoxia and the presence of glioma stem cells contribute to the radioresistant nature of GBM. In this review, we discuss the current treatment modalities, mechanisms of radioresistance, and studies that have evaluated promising radiosensitizers. Specifically, we highlight small molecules and immunotherapy agents that have been studied in conjunction with RT in clinical trials. Recent preclinical studies involving GBM radiosensitizers are also discussed.
A Polypyrrole/Nanoclay Hybrid Film for Ultra-Sensitive Cardiac Troponin T Electrochemical Immunosensor
Authors: Landim Vicente P. A. , Foguel Marcos V. , Prado Cecília M. , Sotomayor Maria P. T. , Vieira Iolanda C. , Silva Bárbara V. M. , Dutra Rosa F.
Published: July 2022

An electrochemical immunosensor based on a nanohybrid film of carboxylated polypyrrole and amine nanoclay was developed for label-free detection of the human cardiac troponin T (cTnT). The nanohybrid film was formed in situ on the surface of the glassy carbon electrode, followed by the covalent immobilization of anti-troponin T antibodies by glutaraldehyde. Morphological and chemical characterizations of the nanohybrid film were performed by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Under the optimized conditions, a calibration curve for cTnT in spiked serum was obtained by square wave voltammetry, and a low limit of detection and quantification was achieved (0.35 and 1.05 pg mL−1, respectively). This was the first time that this type of nanohybrid film was used in the development of an immunosensor for cTnT that proved to be a simple and efficient strategy for the manufacture of a label-free electrochemical device that could be applied in the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction.
Personality Traits as Predictors of Malevolent Creative Ideation in Offenders
Authors: Szabó Enikő , Körmendi Attila , Kurucz Győző , Cropley David , Olajos Timea , Pataky Nóra
Published: July 2022

Malevolent creativity, which can be defined as creativity that is deliberately planned to damage others, is a concept that explains how the capacity to generate novel and effective outcomes (creativity) may, on occasion, be misapplied. The present study used 130 male inmates of the Oradea Maximum Security Penitentiary in Romania to explore the ability of a set of personality variables (the dark triad, self-efficacy, and self-esteem) to predict malevolent creative ideation. The findings indicate that Machiavellianism and self-efficacy were significant predictors of malevolent creative ideation in the form of lying, while only Machiavellianism was a significant predictor of malevolent creative ideation in the form of hurting people. In addition, the present study found significant differences among subgroups in the sample, with more experienced offenders showing higher levels of malevolent creative ideation.
Maternal Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 Levels Decrease during Early Pregnancy in Normotensive Pregnant Women but Are Higher in Preeclamptic Women—A Longitudinal Study
Authors: Buell-Acosta Julieth Daniela , Garces Maria Fernanda , Parada-Baños Arturo José , Angel-Muller Edith , Paez Maria Carolina , Eslava-Schmalbach Javier , Escobar-Cordoba Franklin , Caminos-Cepeda Sofia Alexandra , Lacunza Ezequiel , Castaño Justo P. , Nogueiras Rubén , Dieguez Carlos , Ruiz-Parra Ariel Iván , Caminos Jorge Eduardo
Published: July 2022

(1) Background: Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21) is an endocrine factor involved in glucose and lipid metabolism that exerts pleiotropic effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the serum FGF-21 profile in healthy and mild preeclamptic pregnant women at each trimester of pregnancy; (2) Methods: Serum FGF-21 levels were determined by ELISA in a nested case-control study within a longitudinal cohort study that included healthy (n = 54) and mild preeclamptic (n = 20) pregnant women, women at three months after delivery (n = 20) and eumenorrheic women during the menstrual cycle (n = 20); (3) Results: FGF-21 levels were significantly lower in the mid-luteal phase compared to the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle in eumenorrheic women (p < 0.01). Maternal levels of FGF-21 were significantly lower in the first and second trimesters and peaked during the third trimester in healthy pregnant women (p < 0.01). Serum levels of FGF-21 in healthy pregnant were significantly lower in the first and second trimester of pregnancy compared with the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle and postpartum (p < 0.01). Serum FGF-21 levels were significantly higher in preeclamptic compared to healthy pregnant women during pregnancy (p < 0.01); (4) Conclusions: These results suggest that a peak of FGF-21 towards the end of pregnancy in healthy pregnancy and higher levels in preeclamptic women might play a critical role that contributes to protecting against the negatives effects of high concentrations of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and hypertensive disorder. Furthermore, FGF-21 might play an important role in reproductive function in healthy eumenorrheic women during the menstrual cycle.
Large-Scale Profiling on lncRNAs in Human Platelets: Correlation with Platelet Reactivity
Authors: Sun Yeying , Liu Rongrong , Xia Xiangwen , Xing Luchuan , Jiang Jing , Bian Weihua , Zhang Wendy , Wang Chunhua , Zhang Chunxiang
Published: July 2022

Recently, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been key regulators for both mRNAs and proteins in nucleated cells. However, the expression profiles of lncRNAs in non-nucleated cells such as platelets are currently unclear. In this study, we determined the expression profiles of lncRNAs in human platelets. We found that 6109 lncRNAs were expressed in human platelets. Interestingly, 338 lncRNAs were differentially expressed in hyperreactive and hyporeactive platelets. Bioinformatics’ analysis revealed that these aberrantly expressed lncRNAs might be related to platelet activity and other platelet functions. To provide a proof of concept, we measured the expression levels of PARLncRNA-1, a down-regulated lncRNA of hyperreactive platelets, in platelets from 12 patients with acute myocardial infarction and their controls. We found that the lncRNA was also significantly down-regulated in platelets from patients, which was partially reversed by treatment with aspirin a known antiplatelet drug. LncRNAs may represent a novel class of modulators for platelet functions.
Functional Expression of Multidrug-Resistance (MDR) Transporters in Developing Human Fetal Brain Endothelial Cells
Authors: Lye Phetcharawan , Bloise Enrrico , Imperio Guinever E. , Chitayat David , Matthews Stephen G.
Published: July 2022

There is little information about the functional expression of the multidrug resistance (MDR) transporters P-glycoprotein (P-gp, encoded by ABCB1) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP/ABCG2) in the developing blood–brain barrier (BBB). We isolated and cultured primary human fetal brain endothelial cells (hfBECs) from early and mid-gestation brains and assessed P-gp/ABCB1 and BCRP/ABCG2 expression and function, as well as tube formation capability. Immunolocalization of the von Willebrand factor (marker of endothelial cells), zonula occludens-1 and claudin-5 (tight junctions) was detected in early and mid-gestation-derived hfBECs, which also formed capillary-like tube structures, confirming their BEC phenotype. P-gp and BCRP immunostaining was detected in capillary-like tubes and in the cytoplasm and nucleus of hfBECs. P-gp protein levels in the plasma membrane and nuclear protein fractions, as well as P-gp protein/ABCB1 mRNA and BCRP protein levels decreased (p < 0.05) in hfBECs, from early to mid-gestation. No differences in P-gp or BCRP activity in hfBECs were observed between the two age groups. The hfBECs from early and mid-gestation express functionally competent P-gp and BCRP drug transporters and may thus contribute to the BBB protective phenotype in the conceptus from early stages of pregnancy.
Interligand Charge-Transfer Processes in Zinc Complexes
Authors: Ciarrocchi Carlo , Colucci Guido , Boiocchi Massimo , Sacchi Donatella , Weththimuni Maduka L. , Orbelli Biroli Alessio , Licchelli Maurizio
Published: July 2022

Electron donor–acceptor (EDA) complexes are characterized by charge-transfer (CT) processes between electron-rich and electron-poor counterparts, typically resulting in a new absorption band at a higher wavelength. In this paper, we report a series of novel 2,6-di(imino)pyridine ligands with different electron-rich aromatic substituents and their 1:2 (metal/ligand) complexes with zinc(II) in which the formation of a CT species is promoted by the metal ion coordination. The absorption properties of these complexes were studied, showing the presence of a CT absorption band only in the case of aromatic substituents with donor groups. The nature of EDA interaction was confirmed by crystallographic studies, which disclose the electron-poor and electron-rich moieties involved in the CT process. These moieties mutually belong to both the ligands and are forced into a favorable spatial arrangement by the coordinative preferences of the metal ion.
Survey on Untethering of the Spinal Cord and Urological Manifestations among Spina Bifida Patients in Malaysia
Authors: Nisheljeet Singh , Azizi Abu , Palaniandy Kamalanathan , Ganesan Dharmendra , Ong Teng , Alias Azmi , Rajamanickam Ramalinggam , Atroosh Wahib , Mohd-Zin Siti , Lee-Shamsuddin Andrea , Nivrenjeet Singh , Lo Warren , Abdul-Aziz Noraishah
Published: July 2022

The incidence and severity of urinary tract infections (UTIs) due to spina bifida is poorly understood in Malaysia. Tethering of the spinal cord is a pathological fixation of the cord in the vertebral column that can result in neurogenic bladder dysfunction and other neurological problems. It occurs in patients with spina bifida, and the authors of this study sought to investigate the impact of untethering on the urological manifestations of children with a tethered cord, thereby consolidating a previously known understanding that untethering improves bladder and bowel function. Demographic and clinical data were collected via an online questionnaire and convenient sampling techniques were used. A total of 49 individuals affected by spina bifida participated in this study. UTIs were reported based on patients’ observation of cloudy and smelly urine (67%) as well as urine validation (60%). UTI is defined as the combination of symptoms and factoring in urine culture results that eventually affects the UTI diagnosis in spina bifida individuals irrespective of CISC status. Furthermore, 18% of the respondents reported being prescribed antibiotics even though they had no history of UTI. Therefore, indiscriminate prescription of antibiotics by healthcare workers further compounds the severity of future UTIs. Employing CISC (73%) including stringent usage of sterile catheters (71%) did not prevent patients from getting UTI. Overall, 33% of our respondents reported manageable control of UTI (0–35 years of age). All individuals below the age of 5 (100%, n = 14) were seen to have improved urologically after the untethering surgery under the guidance of the Malaysia NTD support group. Improvement was scored and observed using KUB (Kidneys, Ureters and Bladder) ultrasound surveillance before untethering and continued thereafter. Spina bifida individuals may procure healthy bladder and bowel continence for the rest of their lives provided that neurosurgical and urological treatments were sought soon after birth and continues into adulthood.
Comparison of Different Nutritional Screening Approaches and the Determinants of Malnutrition in Under-Five Children in a Marginalized District of Punjab Province, Pakistan
Authors: Shahid Muhammad , Liu Yongshuan , Ameer Waqar , Qureshi Madeeha Gohar , Ahmed Farooq , Tang Kun
Published: July 2022

Objectives: This research measures the occurrence of malnutrition amongst under-five children in the Rahimyar Khan district of Southern Punjab in Pakistan. Employing different anthropometric measurement approaches such as (1) conventional indices (HAZ, WAZ, and WHZ), (2) CIAF, (3) BMI-for-age, and (4) MUAC, we compare their estimated results and examine the relationship between socioeconomic determinants and different anthropometric indicators. Methods: The study employs a proportional purposive random sampling method to collect data from 384 rural households in the community-based study using a self-administered survey and following the Lady Health Workers (LHWs) registered records. The nutritional status of 517 under-five children is measured with references to WHO (2009) child growth standards. Furthermore, the investigation used the model of binary logistic regression to measure the impact of socioeconomic factors on child malnutrition. Results: Compared with other approaches, the CIAF identifies more malnourished children (63%). The results of binary logistic regression illustrate that all the explanatory variables indicate a more significant empirical association with CIAF than conventional indices, BMI-for-age, and MUAC. Conclusion: CIAF is a more reliable tool for assessing child nutrition because it not only demonstrates more accurate estimates of malnutrition but also recognizes children with multiple anthropometric failures.
Sustainability Evaluation of AquaSun Antifouling Coating Production
Authors: Ciriminna Rosaria , Scurria Antonino , Pagliaro Mario
Published: July 2022

Relying on a cost-effective and green process that is technically and economically feasible on large scale is not enough to call a technology “sustainable”. We thus evaluate the sustainability of the production of the new “AquaSun” antifouling sol–gel coating with reference to each of the three main dimensions (economic, social, and environmental) of sustainable development. This study will hopefully assist in overcoming the “not invented here” syndrome that still affects many sol–gel technologies, including antifouling coatings derived via the sol–gel process.
Multimodal Biometrics Recognition Using a Deep Convolutional Neural Network with Transfer Learning in Surveillance Videos
Authors: Aung Hsu Mon Lei , Pluempitiwiriyawej Charnchai , Hamamoto Kazuhiko , Wangsiripitak Somkiat
Published: July 2022

Biometric recognition is a critical task in security control systems. Although the face has long been widely accepted as a practical biometric for human recognition, it can be easily stolen and imitated. Moreover, in video surveillance, it is a challenge to obtain reliable facial information from an image taken at a long distance with a low-resolution camera. Gait, on the other hand, has been recently used for human recognition because gait is not easy to replicate, and reliable information can be obtained from a low-resolution camera at a long distance. However, the gait biometric alone still has constraints due to its intrinsic factors. In this paper, we propose a multimodal biometrics system by combining information from both the face and gait. Our proposed system uses a deep convolutional neural network with transfer learning. Our proposed network model learns discriminative spatiotemporal features from gait and facial features from face images. The two extracted features are fused into a common feature space at the feature level. This study conducted experiments on the publicly available CASIA-B gait and Extended Yale-B databases and a dataset of walking videos of 25 users. The proposed model achieves a 97.3 percent classification accuracy with an F1 score of 0.97and an equal error rate (EER) of 0.004.
An Enhanced Multiple Sclerosis Disease Diagnosis via an Ensemble Approach
Authors: Torkey Hanaa , Belal Nahla A.
Published: July 2022

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease attacking the central nervous system. According to MS Atlas’s most recent statistics, there are more than 2.8 million people worldwide diagnosed with MS. Recently, studies started to explore machine learning techniques to predict MS using various data. The objective of this paper is to develop an ensemble approach for diagnosis of MS using gene expression profiles, while handling the class imbalance problem associated with the data. A hierarchical ensemble approach employing voting and boosting techniques is proposed. This approach adopts a heterogeneous voting approach using two base learners, random forest and support vector machine. Experiments show that our approach outperforms state-of-the-art methods, with the highest recorded accuracy being 92.81% and 93.5% with BoostFS and DEGs for feature selection, respectively. Conclusively, the proposed approach is able to efficiently diagnose MS using the gene expression profiles that are more relevant to the disease. The approach is not merely an ensemble classifier outperforming previous work; it also identifies differentially expressed genes between normal samples and patients with multiple sclerosis using a genome-wide expression microarray. The results obtained show that the proposed approach is an efficient diagnostic tool for MS.
Anti-Citrullinated Protein Antibody Titers Are Independently Modulated by Both Disease Activity and Conventional or Biologic Anti-Rheumatic Drugs
Authors: Uriarte Ecenarro Miren , Useros Daniel , Alfranca Aranzazu , Tejedor Reyes , González-Alvaro Isidoro , García-Vicuña Rosario
Published: July 2022

This study aimed to analyze the factors that influence anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA) titers in a seropositive early arthritis (EA) population under non-protocolized treatment with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). A total of 130 ACPA-positive patients from the PEARL (Princesa Early Arthritis Longitudinal) study were studied along a 5-year follow-up. Sociodemographic, clinical, and therapeutic variables, along with serum samples, were collected at five visits by protocol. Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide 2 (CCP2) ACPA titers were measured by ELISA. The effect of different variables on anti-CCP2 titers was estimated using longitudinal multivariate analysis models, nested by visit and patient. Data from 471 visits in 130 patients were analyzed. A significant decrease in anti-CCP2 titers was observed at all time-points, compared to baseline, following the decline of disease activity. In the multivariate analysis, active or ever smoking was significantly associated with the highest anti-CCP2 titers while reduction in disease activity was associated with titer decline. After adjusting for these variables, both conventional synthetic (cs) and biologic (b) DMARDs accounted for the decline in anti-CCP2 titers as independent factors. Conclusion: In patients with EA, an early and sustained reduction in ACPA titers can be detected associated with the decline in disease activity, irrespective of the treatment used.