bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification and Spatiotemporal Migration Analysis of Groundwater Drought Events in the North China Plain
Authors: Huang Jia , Cao Lianhai , Wang Lei , Liu Liwei , Yu Baobao , Han Long
Published: May 2023

Groundwater droughts can explain developments and changes in groundwater from a climatological perspective. The North China Plain (NCP) is a typical underground funnel area. Therefore, groundwater drought studies in the NCP can provide better understanding of the local hydrogeological characteristics from new perspectives. In this paper, the GRACE groundwater drought index (GGDI) was used to evaluate groundwater drought events in the NCP. Additionally, a new method was proposed in this study for investigating groundwater drought events at the spatiotemporal scale. On this basis, the centroid theory was used to construct an appropriate groundwater drought migration model for the NCP. The results showed that (1) the groundwater drought frequency in the NCP was 24.54%. In addition, the most severe groundwater drought events in the study occurred in March 2020. (2) In total, 49 groundwater drought events occurred in the NCP over the 2003–2020 period. The most intense groundwater drought event occurred over the June 2018–December 2020 period (DE.49), covering the entire study area. DE.29 was the second most intense groundwater drought event over the August 2012–September 2013 period (14 months), resulting in a maximum arid area of 75.57% of the entire study area. (3) The migration of the groundwater drought events was in the southwest–northeast and northeast–southwest directions, which was consistent with the terrain inclination, while most of the groundwater drought centroids were concentrated in Area II. The groundwater drought event identification method and the groundwater drought migration model were effective and reliable for assessing groundwater drought events in the NCP and provided a better understanding of developments and changes in groundwater droughts, which is of great practical significance and theoretical value for the rational development and use of groundwater resources, as well as for guiding industrial and agricultural activities.
An Analysis of the Spatiotemporal Variation in Wind Erosion–Climate Erosion Force in the Ningxia Region and Its Driving Factors
Authors: Liu Zhe , Sun Quan , Dai Pengfei , Lei Jinyin , Zeng Boling , Wang Lingjuan , Xie Haojun , Wang Jingyao
Published: May 2023

Wind erosion is one of the major meteorological hazards in Ningxia, and climate change has caused changes in wind erosion–climatic erosion activity in recent years. This study uses the wind erosion climate factor (C) proposed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to assess the impact of climate change on wind erosion–climate erosion, and the results show that (1) the distribution of wind erosion degree in Ningxia region is central > northern > southern. Seasonally, it is higher in spring and winter, and lower in summer and autumn. (2) Climate change has more influence on spring, autumn and winter, and less influence on summer. (3) The center of gravity is mainly located at the junction of central and northern Ningxia, and the center of gravity migrates through four migration stages—northeast–southwest–northeast–southwest—on the annual scale, and four migration stages—northwest–northeast–southeast—on the seasonal and monthly scales. The migration rate in the cold season is greater than that in the warm season. (4) The wind erosion climate factor index is influenced by sunshine hours, average temperature, average humidity, average wind speed and total precipitation, and the degree of influence has spatial and temporal variability, among which the wind erosion climate factor index is the most sensitive to the influence of average wind speed. (5) The wind erosion climate factor indices are positively correlated with NAO, AO, PDO and SOI indices, and negatively correlated with MEI and ENSO indices, and there are resonance cycles of different time scales.
New Perspectives on the Role of Nuclear Proteases in Cell Death Pathways
Authors: Frolova Anastasia S. , Chepikova Olga E. , Deviataikina Anna S. , Solonkina Alena D. , Zamyatnin Andrey A.
Published: May 2023

Multiple factors can trigger cell death via various pathways, and nuclear proteases have emerged as essential regulators of these processes. While certain nuclear proteases have been extensively studied and their mechanisms of action are well understood, others remain poorly characterized. Regulation of nuclear protease activity is a promising therapeutic strategy that could selectively induce favorable cell death pathways in specific tissues or organs. Thus, by understanding the roles of newly discovered or predicted nuclear proteases in cell death processes, we can identify new pharmacological targets for improving therapeutic outcomes. In this article, we delved into the role of nuclear proteases in several types of cell death and explore potential avenues for future research and therapeutic development.
Evaluating Hyperbolic Dispersion Materials for Cancer Detection
Authors: Zafar Syed Muhammad Sohaib , Iatsunskyi Igor
Published: May 2023

Current biosensors have limited application in clinical diagnostics as they lack the high order of specificity needed to detect low molecular analytes, especially in complex fluids (such as blood, urine, and saliva). In contrast, they are resistant to the suppression of non-specific binding. Hyperbolic metamaterials (HMMs) offer highly sought- after label-free detection and quantification techniques to circumvent sensitivity issues as low as 105 M concentration in angular sensitivity. This review discusses design strategies in detail and compares nuances in conventional plasmonic techniques to create susceptible miniaturized point-of-care devices. A substantial portion of the review is devoted to developing low optical loss reconfigurable HMM devices for active cancer bioassay platforms. A future perspective of HMM-based biosensors for cancer biomarker detection is provided.
Fluorescent Alloyed CdZnSeS/ZnS Nanosensor for Doxorubicin Detection
Authors: Mescheryakova Svetlana A. , Matlakhov Ivan S. , Strokin Pavel D. , Drozd Daniil D. , Goryacheva Irina Yu. , Goryacheva Olga A.
Published: May 2023

Doxorubicin (DOX) is widely used in chemotherapy as an anti-tumor drug. However, DOX is highly cardio-, neuro- and cytotoxic. For this reason, the continuous monitoring of DOX concentrations in biofluids and tissues is important. Most methods for the determination of DOX concentrations are complex and costly, and are designed to determine pure DOX. The purpose of this work is to demonstrate the capabilities of analytical nanosensors based on the quenching of the fluorescence of alloyed CdZnSeS/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) for operative DOX detection. To maximize the nanosensor quenching efficiency, the spectral features of QDs and DOX were carefully studied, and the complex nature of QD fluorescence quenching in the presence of DOX was shown. Using optimized conditions, turn-off fluorescence nanosensors for direct DOX determination in undiluted human plasma were developed. A DOX concentration of 0.5 µM in plasma was reflected in a decrease in the fluorescence intensity of QDs, stabilized with thioglycolic and 3-mercaptopropionic acids, for 5.8 and 4.4 %, respectively. The calculated Limit of Detection values were 0.08 and 0.03 μg/mL using QDs, stabilized with thioglycolic and 3-mercaptopropionic acids, respectively.
Numerical Simulation of Airflow in the Main Cable of Suspension Bridge with FPM Model
Authors: Sui Wenhao , Guo Zhihang , Guan Hua , Peng Pei , Liu Qun , Zhang Xiaochen , Cheng Xiangdong
Published: May 2023

The main cable of suspension bridges is subject to corrosion and requires advanced anti-corrosion technology. Consequently, the internal airflow of the main cable has become a significant research focus. This study employs image processing and machine learning to analyze the cross-sectional images of the main cable and reveals the distribution characteristics of pores and fractures within the main cable cross-section. The numerical simulation model of the main cable is divided into inner and outer parts based on porosity, with porosity levels of 18.16% and 32.11%, respectively. Fractures randomly occurred in the inner part, with a probability of 31.37%. A simulation model based on fractured porous media (FPM) is developed, which innovatively incorporates the fracture flow model into the numerical simulation of the internal airflow of the main cable. The numerical simulation clearly explores the intricate details of the internal flow field of the main cable, revealing that the existence of fractures has a great impact on the internal flow field of the main cable. Additionally, the relative deviation of specific frictional head loss between the field experiment and numerical simulation is about 6.83%, indicating that the numerical simulation results are relatively reliable.
Decision-Making Approach to Urban Energy Retrofit—A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Shu Lei , Zhao Dong
Published: May 2023

This research presents a comprehensive review of the research on smart urban energy retrofit decision-making. Based on the analysis of 91 journal articles over the past decade, the study identifies and discusses five key categories of approaches to retrofit decision-making, including simulation, optimization, assessment, system integration, and empirical study. While substantial advancements have been made in this field, opportunities for further growth remain. Findings suggest directions for future research and underscore the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, data-driven evaluation methodologies, stakeholder engagement, system integration, and robust and adaptable retrofit solutions in the field of urban energy retrofitting. This review provides valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners interested in advancing the state of the art in this critical area of research to facilitate more effective, sustainable, and efficient solutions for urban energy retrofits.
Conventional Cancer Therapies Can Accelerate Malignant Potential of Cancer Cells by Activating Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Esophageal Cancer Models
Authors: Komoto Satoshi , Noma Kazuhiro , Kato Takuya , Kobayashi Teruki , Nishiwaki Noriyuki , Narusaka Toru , Sato Hiroaki , Katsura Yuki , Kashima Hajime , Kikuchi Satoru , Ohara Toshiaki , Tazawa Hiroshi , Fujiwara Toshiyoshi
Published: May 2023

Esophageal cancer is one of the most aggressive tumors, and the outcome remains poor. One contributing factor is the presence of tumors that are less responsive or have increased malignancy when treated with conventional chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or a combination of these. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play an important role in the tumor microenvironment. Focusing on conventional cancer therapies, we investigated how CAFs acquire therapeutic resistance and how they affect tumor malignancy. In this study, low-dose chemotherapy or radiotherapy-induced normal fibroblasts showed enhanced activation of CAFs markers, fibroblast activation protein, and α-smooth muscle actin, indicating the acquisition of malignancy in fibroblasts. Furthermore, CAFs activated by radiotherapy induce phenotypic changes in cancer cells, increasing their proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities. In in vivo peritoneal dissemination models, the total number of tumor nodules in the abdominal cavity was significantly increased in the co-inoculation group of cancer cells and resistant fibroblasts compared to that in the co-inoculation group of cancer cells and normal fibroblasts. In conclusion, we demonstrated that conventional cancer therapy causes anti-therapeutic effects via the activation of fibroblasts, resulting in CAFs. It is important to select or combine modalities of esophageal cancer treatment, recognizing that inappropriate radiotherapy and chemotherapy can lead to resistance in CAF-rich tumors.
Prediction of Primary Tumor Sites in Spinal Metastases Using a ResNet-50 Convolutional Neural Network Based on MRI
Authors: Liu Ke , Qin Siyuan , Ning Jinlai , Xin Peijin , Wang Qizheng , Chen Yongye , Zhao Weili , Zhang Enlong , Lang Ning
Published: May 2023

We aim to investigate the feasibility and evaluate the performance of a ResNet-50 convolutional neural network (CNN) based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in predicting primary tumor sites in spinal metastases. Conventional sequences (T1-weighted, T2-weighted, and fat-suppressed T2-weighted sequences) MRIs of spinal metastases patients confirmed by pathology from August 2006 to August 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were partitioned into non-overlapping sets of 90% for training and 10% for testing. A deep learning model using ResNet-50 CNN was trained to classify primary tumor sites. Top-1 accuracy, precision, sensitivity, area under the curve for the receiver-operating characteristic (AUC-ROC), and F1 score were considered as the evaluation metrics. A total of 295 spinal metastases patients (mean age ± standard deviation, 59.9 years ± 10.9; 154 men) were evaluated. Included metastases originated from lung cancer (n = 142), kidney cancer (n = 50), mammary cancer (n = 41), thyroid cancer (n = 34), and prostate cancer (n = 28). For 5-class classification, AUC-ROC and top-1 accuracy were 0.77 and 52.97%, respectively. Additionally, AUC-ROC for different sequence subsets ranged between 0.70 (for T2-weighted) and 0.74 (for fat-suppressed T2-weighted). Our developed ResNet-50 CNN model for predicting primary tumor sites in spinal metastases at MRI has the potential to help prioritize the examinations and treatments in case of unknown primary for radiologists and oncologists.
Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy (PRRT): Innovations and Improvements
Authors: Merola Elettra , Grana Chiara Maria
Published: May 2023

Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are tumors originating from neuroendocrine cells distributed throughout the human body. With an increasing incidence over the past few decades, they represent a highly heterogeneous group of neoplasms, mostly expressing somatostatin receptors (SSTRs) on their cell surface. Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) has emerged as a crucial strategy for treating advanced, unresectable neuroendocrine tumors by administering radiolabeled somatostatin analogs intravenously to target SSTRs. This article will focus on the multidisciplinary theranostic approach, treatment effectiveness (such as response rates and symptom relief), patient outcomes, and toxicity profile of PRRT for NEN patients. We will review the most significant studies, such as the phase III NETTER-1 trial, and discuss promising new radiopharmaceuticals, including alpha-emitting radionuclide-labeled somatostatin analogs and SSTR antagonists.
Predictive Role of Serum Thyroglobulin after Surgery and before Radioactive Iodine Therapy in Patients with Thyroid Carcinoma
Authors: Signore Alberto , Lauri Chiara , Di Paolo Arianna , Stati Valeria , Santolamazza Giuliano , Capriotti Gabriela , Prosperi Daniela , Tofani Anna , Valabrega Stefano , Campagna Giuseppe
Published: May 2023

Introduction: Thyroidectomy followed by radioactive iodine therapy (RAI) is the treatment of choice for differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). Serum thyroglobulin (Tg) measurement has proved to be useful for predicting persistent and/or recurrent disease during follow-up of DTC patients. In our study, we evaluated the risk of disease recurrence in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), who were treated with thyroidectomy and RAI, by measuring serum Tg at different time-points: at least 40 days after surgery, in euthyroidism with TSH < 1.5 and usually 30 days before RAI (Tg−30), on the day of RAI (Tg0), and seven days after RAI (Tg+7). Methods: One hundred and twenty-nine patients with PTC were enrolled in this retrospective study. All patients were treated with 131I for thyroid remnant ablation. Disease relapse (nodal disease or distant disease) during at least 36 months follow-up was evaluated by serum measurements of Tg, TSH, AbTg at different time points and by imaging techniques (neck ultrasonography, 131I-whole body scan (WBS) after Thyrogen® stimulation). Typically, patients were assessed at 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, and 36 months after RAI. We classified patients in five groups: (i) those who developed nodal disease (ND), (ii) those who developed distant disease (DD), (iii) those with biochemical indeterminate response and minimal residual thyroid tissue (R), (iv) those with no evidence of structural or biochemical disease + intermediate ATA risk (NED-I), and (v) those with no evidence of structural or biochemical disease + low ATA risk (NED-L). ROC curves for Tg were generated to find potential discriminating cutoffs of Tg values in all patients’ groups. Results: A total of 15 out of 129 patients (11.63%) developed nodal disease and 5 (3.88%) distant metastases, during the follow-up. We found that Tg−30 (with suppressed TSH) has the same sensitivity and specificity than Tg0 (with stimulated TSH), and it is slightly better than Tg+7, which can be influenced by the size of the residual thyroid tissue. Conclusion: Serum Tg−30 value, measured in euthyroidism 30 days before RAI, is a reliable prognostic factor to predict future nodal or distant disease, thus allowing to plan the most appropriate therapy and follow-up.
Results from a Phase 1b/2 Study of Ibrutinib Combination Therapy in Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma
Authors: Mar Nataliya , Zakharia Yousef , Falcon Alejandro , Morales-Barrera Rafael , Mellado Begona , Duran Ignacio , Oh Do-Youn , Williamson Stephen K. , Gajate Pablo , Arkenau Hendrik-Tobias , Jones Robert J. , Teo Min Yuen , Turan Tolga , McLaughlin Robert T. , Peltier Hillary M. , Chong Elizabeth , Atluri Harisha , Dean James P. , Castellano Daniel
Published: May 2023

Ibrutinib is a first-in-class Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of various B-cell malignancies and chronic graft-versus-host disease. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of ibrutinib, alone or combined with standard-of-care regimens, in adults with advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC). Once-daily ibrutinib was administered orally at 840 mg (single-agent or with paclitaxel) or at 560 mg (with pembrolizumab). Phase 1b determined the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of ibrutinib, and phase 2 assessed progression-free survival (PFS), overall response rate (ORR), and safety. Thirty-five, eighteen, and fifty-nine patients received ibrutinib, ibrutinib plus pembrolizumab, and ibrutinib plus paclitaxel at the RP2D, respectively. Safety profiles were consistent with those of the individual agents. The best-confirmed ORRs were 7% (two partial responses) with single-agent ibrutinib and 36% (five partial responses) with ibrutinib plus pembrolizumab. Median PFS was 4.1 months (range, 1.0–37.4+) with ibrutinib plus paclitaxel. The best-confirmed ORR was 26% (two complete responses). In previously treated patients with UC, ORR was higher with ibrutinib plus pembrolizumab than with either agent alone (historical data in the intent-to-treat population). ORR with ibrutinib plus paclitaxel was greater than historical values for single-agent paclitaxel or ibrutinib. These data warrant further evaluation of ibrutinib combinations in UC.
To Bev or Not to Bev during Ovarian Cancer Maintenance Therapy?
Authors: Sznurkowski Jacek Jan
Published: May 2023

Background: Maintenance therapy with PARP inhibitors and bevacizumab is approved for ovarian cancer treatment in the first and second line settings, but selecting the optimal sequence is challenging due to restrictions on using the same medication twice. This review aims to establish guidelines for ovarian cancer maintenance therapy based on the strength of scientific evidence, the most effective treatment strategy, and the impact on the healthcare system. Methods: Six questions were formulated to evaluate the scientific evidence supporting different maintenance therapy options using the AGREE II guideline evaluation tool. The questions address the acceptability of reusing the same medication, the efficacy of bevacizumab and PARP inhibitors in the first and second line settings, the comparative efficacy of these medications, the potential benefit of combination maintenance therapy, and the economic impact of maintenance therapy. Results: Based on the available evidence, bevacizumab should be preserved for second line maintenance therapy, and maintenance therapy with PARP inhibitors should be offered to all advanced ovarian cancer patients who have responded to first line platinum-based chemotherapy. Additional molecular predictors for bevacizumab efficacy are needed. Conclusions: The presented guidelines offer an evidence-based framework for selecting the most effective maintenance therapy for ovarian cancer patients. Further research is necessary to refine these recommendations and improve outcomes for patients with this disease.
Stratifying Risk for Pancreatic Cancer by Multiplexed Blood Test
Authors: Digiacomo Luca , Quagliarini Erica , Pozzi Daniela , Coppola Roberto , Caracciolo Giulio , Caputo Damiano
Published: May 2023

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly lethal disease, for which mortality closely parallels incidence. So far, the available techniques for PDAC detection are either too invasive or not sensitive enough. To overcome this limitation, here we present a multiplexed point-of-care test that provides a “risk score” for each subject under investigation, by combining systemic inflammatory response biomarkers, standard laboratory tests, and the most recent nanoparticle-enabled blood (NEB) tests. The former parameters are routinely evaluated in clinical practice, whereas NEB tests have been recently proven as promising tools to assist in PDAC diagnosis. Our results revealed that PDAC patients and healthy subjects can be distinguished accurately (i.e., 88.9% specificity, 93.6% sensitivity) by the presented multiplexed point-of-care test, in a quick, non-invasive, and highly cost-efficient way. Furthermore, the test allows for the definition of a “risk threshold”, which can help clinicians to trace the optimal diagnostic and therapeutic care pathway for each patient. For these reasons, we envision that this work may accelerate progress in the early detection of PDAC and contribute to the design of screening programs for high-risk populations.
Conventional and Advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging Assessment of Non-Enhancing Peritumoral Area in Brain Tumor
Authors: Scola Elisa , Del Vecchio Guido , Busto Giorgio , Bianchi Andrea , Desideri Ilaria , Gadda Davide , Mancini Sara , Carlesi Edoardo , Moretti Marco , Desideri Isacco , Muscas Giovanni , Della Puppa Alessandro , Fainardi Enrico
Published: May 2023

The non-enhancing peritumoral area (NEPA) is defined as the hyperintense region in T2-weighted and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images surrounding a brain tumor. The NEPA corresponds to different pathological processes, including vasogenic edema and infiltrative edema. The analysis of the NEPA with conventional and advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was proposed in the differential diagnosis of solid brain tumors, showing higher accuracy than MRI evaluation of the enhancing part of the tumor. In particular, MRI assessment of the NEPA was demonstrated to be a promising tool for distinguishing high-grade gliomas from primary lymphoma and brain metastases. Additionally, the MRI characteristics of the NEPA were found to correlate with prognosis and treatment response. The purpose of this narrative review was to describe MRI features of the NEPA obtained with conventional and advanced MRI techniques to better understand their potential in identifying the different characteristics of high-grade gliomas, primary lymphoma and brain metastases and in predicting clinical outcome and response to surgery and chemo-irradiation. Diffusion and perfusion techniques, such as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI), dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced (DSC) perfusion imaging, dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) perfusion imaging, arterial spin labeling (ASL), spectroscopy and amide proton transfer (APT), were the advanced MRI procedures we reviewed.
Functional IgG Autoantibodies against Autonomic Nervous System Receptors in Symptomatic Women with Silicone Breast Implants
Authors: Talalai Efrosiniia , Gorobets Denis , Halpert Gilad , Tsur Avishai , Heidecke Harald , Levy Yair , Watad Abdulla , Blank Miri , Michaelevski Izhak , Shoenfeld Yehuda , Amital Howard
Published: May 2023

The association between the clinical picture of symptomatic women with silicone breast implants (SBI) and dysregulated immunity was in dispute for decades. In the current study, we describe for the first time the functional activity of purified IgG antibodies derived from symptomatic women with SBIs (suffering from subjective/autonomic-related symptoms), both in vitro and in vivo. We found that IgGs, derived from symptomatic women with SBIs, dysregulate inflammatory cytokines (TNFα, IL-6) in activated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, compared to healthy-women-derived IgGs. Importantly, behavioral studies conducted following intracerebroventricular injection of IgGs derived from symptomatic women with SBIs (who have dysregulated circulating level of IgG autoantibodies directed against autonomic nervous system receptors) into mice brains demonstrated a specific and transient significant increment (about 60%) in the time spent at the center of the open field arena compared with mice injected with IgG from healthy women (without SBIs). This effect was accompanied with a strong trend of reduction of the locomotor activity of the SBI-IgG treated mice, indicating an overall apathic-like behavior. Our study is the first to show the potential pathogenic activity of IgG autoantibodies in symptomatic women with SBIs, emphasizing the importance of these antibodies in SBI-related illness.
Korean Red Ginseng-Induced SIRT3 Promotes the Tom22–HIF-1α Circuit in Normoxic Astrocytes
Authors: Kim Hyungsu , Moon Sunhong , Lee Dohyung , Park Jinhong , Kim Chang-Hee , Kim Young-Myeong , Choi Yoon Kyung
Published: May 2023

Astrocytes play a key role in brain functioning by providing energy to neurons. Increased astrocytic mitochondrial functions by Korean red ginseng extract (KRGE) have been investigated in previous studies. KRGE administration induces hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in astrocytes in the adult mouse brain cortex. VEGF expression can be controlled by transcription factors, such as the HIF-1α and estrogen-related receptor α (ERRα). However, the expression of ERRα is unchanged by KRGE in astrocytes of the mouse brain cortex. Instead, sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) expression is induced by KRGE in astrocytes. SIRT3 is a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)-dependent deacetylase that resides in the mitochondria and maintains mitochondrial homeostasis. Mitochondrial maintenance requires oxygen, and active mitochondria enhance oxygen consumption, resulting in hypoxia. The effects of SIRT3 on HIF-1α-mediated mitochondria functions induced by KRGE are not well established. We aimed to investigate the relationship between SIRT3 and HIF-1α in KRGE-treated normoxic astrocyte cells. Without changing the expression of the ERRα, small interfering ribonucleic acid targeted for SIRT3 in astrocytes substantially lowers the amount of KRGE-induced HIF-1α proteins. Reduced proline hydroxylase 2 (PHD2) expression restores HIF-1α protein levels in SIRT3-depleted astrocytes in normoxic cells treated with KRGE. The translocation of outer mitochondrial membranes 22 (Tom22) and Tom20 is controlled by the SIRT3-HIF-1α axis, which is activated by KRGE. KRGE-induced Tom22 increased oxygen consumption and mitochondrial membrane potential, as well as HIF-1α stability through PHD2. Taken together, in normoxic astrocytes, KRGE-induced SIRT3 activated the Tom22–HIF-1α circuit by increasing oxygen consumption in an ERRα-independent manner.
Phytoremediation of Heavy-Metal-Contaminated Soils: Capacity of Amaranth Plants to Extract Cadmium from Nutrient-Poor, Acidic Substrates
Authors: Haller Henrik , Pronoza Lesya , Dyer Mark , Ahlgren Maya , Bergqvist Louise , Flores-Carmenate Ginnette , Jonsson Anders
Published: May 2023

Soil pollution is a threat to food security and ecological and human health. Cd is one of the most common pollutants in agricultural soil and, due its human toxicity, one of the most hazardous. Amaranth is a documented hyperaccumulator of Cd and other pollutants, and it is commonly grown in Asia and South America. A considerable amount of amaranth is grown in suboptimal conditions, including nutrient-poor acidic soils. The objective of this experimental study was to examine the capacity of Amaranthus hypochondriacus to extract Cd from a nutrient-poor, acidic substrate that was spiked with different concentrations of Cd (2 and 20 mg kg−1 dw) during a period of 180 days. The plants grown in the substrate that was spiked with 20 mg Cd kg−1 dw did not develop into mature plants, but the plants grown in substrate that was spiked with 2 mg Cd kg−1 dw extracted a significant amount of Cd from the substrate by accumulating it into the above-ground biomass. The Cd levels varied from 113 to 176 mg kg−1 in the stems at the four measuring points, and from 64 to 94 mg kg−1 in the leaves. The concentrations in the plants increased with time and reached a maximal concentration of 176 ± 45 mg kg−1 dw for stems and 94 ± 41 mg kg−1 dw for leaves after 180 days. The mean bioaccumulation factor in the plants was 86 ± 15 after 90 days, 72 ± 12 after 120 days, 105 ± 37 after 150 days, and 99 ± 31 after 180 days, which confirms the previously reported capacity of Amaranthus hypochondriacus to hyperaccumulate Cd. Amaranthus hypochondriacus may, thus, be used to improve ecological and human health by remediating moderately Cd-polluted soils, even in nutrient-poor acidic soils.
Clinical Characteristics of Molecularly Defined Renal Cell Carcinomas
Authors: Hu Xinfeng , Tan Congzhu , Zhu Guodong
Published: May 2023

Kidney tumors comprise a broad spectrum of different histopathological entities, with more than 0.4 million newly diagnosed cases each year, mostly in middle-aged and older men. Based on the description of the 2022 World Health Organization (WHO) classification of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), some new categories of tumor types have been added according to their specific molecular typing. However, studies on these types of RCC are still superficial, many types of these RCC currently lack accurate diagnostic standards in the clinic, and treatment protocols are largely consistent with the treatment guidelines for clear cell RCC (ccRCC), which might result in worse treatment outcomes for patients with these types of molecularly defined RCC. In this article, we conduct a narrative review of the literature published in the last 15 years on molecularly defined RCC. The purpose of this review is to summarize the clinical features and the current status of research on the detection and treatment of molecularly defined RCC.
Structure and Properties of Ti3AlC2-SiC and Ti3AlC2-TiC Materials Obtained by Powder Injection Molding Technology
Authors: Krinitcyn Maksim , Sharafeev Sharif , Afanasyev Alexandr
Published: May 2023

Powder injection melting (PIM) and material extrusion additive manufacturing (MEAM) are promising production technologies that allow us to obtain products from modern composite materials. These technologies make it possible to obtain products of complex shape from ceramic composite materials, which is a non-trivial task. A highly filled polymer feedstock is used as a source material in such technologies. In this work, a study of the structures and properties of samples obtained from SiC-Ti3AlC2 and TiC-Ti3AlC2 feedstocks by the PIM method was performed. The main purpose of this work was to study the influence of the powder compositions in feedstocks on the rheological properties and the structures of the obtained samples, as well as to determine the sintering parameters of samples of these compositions. In the future, it is planned to use the received and studied feedstocks in material extrusion additive manufacturing (MEAM). It was found that the investigated compositions had different MFI values depending on the composition. The effect of the sintering parameters on the structure and properties was shown. During the sintering of SiC-Ti3AlC2 ceramics in the temperature range of 1200–1400 °C in a vacuum, the main components of the mixture interacted with the formation of Ti3SiC2 and TiC. For materials of the TiC-Ti3AlC2 composition, partial oxidation of the material and the formation of titanium and aluminum oxides was observed.
A Comparative Study on the Influence of Al2O3-ZnO ALD Nanolaminates on the Properties of CrCN PVD Sputtered Coatings with Distinctive Morphologies and Microstructures
Authors: Kaady Elias , Sayegh Syreina , Bechelany Mikhael , Habchi Roland , Alhussein Akram
Published: May 2023

Chromium carbonitride (CrCN) coatings present the desired characteristics for improving the mechanical properties and the corrosion resistance of marine components. The purpose of this work is to investigate the effect of carbon insertion, using CH4 gas flow as the carbon precursor in magnetron sputtering, on the mechanical and electrochemical properties of the CrN coating. Moreover, the influence of the Al2O3-ZnO nanolaminates sealing layers deposited by the atomic layer deposition (ALD) on the properties of distinctive CrCN sputtered coatings (dense and columnar) is investigated. Structural, morphological, and topographical analyses were performed using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and atomic force microscopy. The nanoindentation measurements determined the mechanical properties and the electrochemical behavior was evaluated in a saline solution. The results revealed new important insights in the field of duplex treatment based on hybrid deposition using magnetron sputtering and ALD techniques.
On the Importance of H-Bonding Interactions in the Enclathration of Boric Acids in Na(I) Polymers: Experimental and Theoretical Studies
Authors: Baishya Trishnajyoti , Dutta Kamal K. , Frontera Antonio , Gomila Rosa M. , Barceló-Oliver Miquel , Bhattacharyya Manjit K.
Published: May 2023

Two Na(I) coordination polymers, namely, {Na(BA)2(μ-H2O)2}n{adp}n (1) and {[Na2(μ-BA)(μ-fum)(μ-H2O)4](BA)}n (2) (where, BA = boric acid, adp = adipic acid, fum = fumarate),were prepared and characterized using elemental analysis, TGA, FT-IR, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. Various unconventional supramolecular interactions, i.e., CH∙∙∙HC and parallel CO∙∙∙CO interactions, stabilize the layered assembly of compound 1. Interesting dual enclathration of BA molecules within the supramolecular host cavities formed by O-H∙∙∙O and C-H∙∙∙C interactions stabilizes the crystal structure of compound 2. The H-bonding interactions in 1 and 2 were further studied theoretically using the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) and the noncovalent interaction plot (NCI Plot) computational tools. The energy of the H-bonds was estimated using the potential energy density at the bond critical points. Theoretical calculations confirmed the presence of O-H∙∙∙O H-bonding interactions in both compounds, forming structure-guiding R22(8) synthons relevant for the stability of the compounds.
Non-Indigenous Species Dynamics in Time and Space within the Coastal Waters of The Netherlands
Authors: Gittenberger Arjan , Rensing Marjolein , Faasse Marco , van Walraven Lodewijk , Smolders Sander , Keeler Perez Helena , Gittenberger Edmund
Published: May 2023

Information on temporal and spatial trends with regard to the introduction of non-indigenous species (NIS) is often sparsely available. These trends may potentially help improve the design and focus of monitoring programs, give insights into new pathways and hotspots, and facilitate horizon scanning. We provide an overview of 215 marine and brackish water NIS recorded in The Netherlands. Temporal trends over the most recent three decades for taxonomic groups, species origin, introduction vectors, and water systems were analysed. We attempt to explain the observed patterns and discuss factors that hamper their explanation. A shift in the region of origin from Pacific to W Atlantic can potentially be linked to legislation prohibiting Pacific oyster imports, whereas a subsequent shift backwards cannot. Case studies illustrate that NIS may not be first detected in the water systems where they were originally introduced. Additionally, it is shown that changes in allegedly native species’ distribution or seasonal pattern should be linked to an introduced cryptic NIS instead. We also discuss the shortcomings of monitoring programs that were originally not focused on NIS, the importance of naturalists’ observations, and the added value of a more recent network that is focused on NIS detection in the coastal waters of The Netherlands.
Determining a Trustworthy Application for Medical Data Visualizations through a Knowledge-Based Fuzzy Expert System
Authors: Albarrak Abdullah M.
Published: May 2023

Medical data, such as electronic health records, are a repository for a patient’s medical records for use in the diagnosis of different diseases. Using medical data for individual patient care raises a number of concerns, including trustworthiness in data management, privacy, and patient data security. The introduction of visual analytics, a computing system that integrates analytics approaches with interactive visualizations, can potentially deal with information overload concerns in medical data. The practice of assessing the trustworthiness of visual analytics tools or applications using factors that affect medical data analysis is known as trustworthiness evaluation for medical data. It has a variety of major issues, such as a lack of important evaluation of medical data, the need to process much of medical data for diagnosis, the need to make trustworthy relationships clear, and the expectation that it will be automated. Decision-making strategies have been utilized in this evaluation process to avoid these concerns and intelligently and automatically analyze the trustworthiness of the visual analytics tool. The literature study found no hybrid decision support system for visual analytics tool trustworthiness in medical data diagnosis. Thus, this research develops a hybrid decision support system to assess and improve the trustworthiness of medical data for visual analytics tools using fuzzy decision systems. This study examined the trustworthiness of decision systems using visual analytics tools for medical data for the diagnosis of diseases. The hybrid multi-criteria decision-making-based decision support model, based on the analytic hierarchy process and sorting preferences by similarity to ideal solutions in a fuzzy environment, was employed in this study. The results were compared to highly correlated accuracy tests. In conclusion, we highlight the benefits of our proposed study, which includes performing a comparison analysis on the recommended models and some existing models in order to demonstrate the applicability of an optimal decision in real-world environments. In addition, we present a graphical interpretation of the proposed endeavor in order to demonstrate the coherence and effectiveness of our methodology. This research will also help medical experts select, evaluate, and rank the best visual analytics tools for medical data.
Renal Biomarkers in Cardiovascular Patients with Acute Kidney Injury: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Claure-Del Granado Rolando , Chávez-Íñiguez Jonathan S.
Published: May 2023

Biomarkers have become important tools in the diagnosis and management of cardiorenal syndrome (CRS), a complex condition characterized by dysfunction in both the cardiovascular and renal systems. Biomarkers can help identify the presence and severity of CRS, predict its progression and outcomes, and facilitate personalized treatment options. Several biomarkers, including natriuretic peptides, troponins, and inflammatory markers, have been extensively studied in CRS, and have shown promising results in improving diagnosis and prognosis. In addition, emerging biomarkers, such as kidney injury molecule-1 and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, offer potential for early detection and intervention of CRS. However, the use of biomarkers in CRS is still in its infancy, and further research is needed to establish their utility in routine clinical practice. This review highlights the role of biomarkers in the diagnosis, prognosis, and management of CRS, and discusses their potential as valuable clinical tools for personalized medicine in the future.
Short-Term Forecasting of Monkeypox Cases Using a Novel Filtering and Combining Technique
Authors: Iftikhar Hasnain , Khan Murad , Khan Mohammed Saad , Khan Mehak
Published: May 2023

In the modern world, new technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data are essential to support healthcare surveillance systems, especially for monitoring confirmed cases of monkeypox. The statistics of infected and uninfected people worldwide contribute to the growing number of publicly available datasets that can be used to predict early-stage confirmed cases of monkeypox through machine-learning models. Thus, this paper proposes a novel filtering and combination technique for accurate short-term forecasts of infected monkeypox cases. To this end, we first filter the original time series of the cumulative confirmed cases into two new subseries: the long-term trend series and residual series, using the two proposed and one benchmark filter. Then, we predict the filtered subseries using five standard machine learning models and all their possible combination models. Hence, we combine individual forecasting models directly to obtain a final forecast for newly infected cases one day ahead. Four mean errors and a statistical test are performed to verify the proposed methodology’s performance. The experimental results show the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed forecasting methodology. To prove the superiority of the proposed approach, four different time series and five different machine learning models were included as benchmarks. The results of this comparison confirmed the dominance of the proposed method. Finally, based on the best combination model, we achieved a forecast of fourteen days (two weeks). This can help to understand the spread and lead to an understanding of the risk, which can be utilized to prevent further spread and enable timely and effective treatment.
Research on the Intelligent Construction of UAV Knowledge Graph Based on Attentive Semantic Representation
Authors: Fan Yi , Mi Baigang , Sun Yu , Yin Li
Published: May 2023

Accurate target recognition of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the intelligent warfare mode relies on a highly standardized UAV knowledge base, and thus it is crucial to construct a knowledge graph suitable for UAV multi-source information fusion. However, due to the lack of domain knowledge and the cumbersome and inefficient construction techniques, the intelligent construction approaches of knowledge graphs for UAVs are relatively backward. To this end, this paper proposes a framework for the construction and application of a standardized knowledge graph from large-scale UAV unstructured data. First, UAV concept classes and relations are defined to form specialized ontology, and UAV knowledge extraction triples are labeled. Then, a two-stage knowledge extraction model based on relational attention-based contextual semantic representation (UASR) is designed based on the characteristics of the UAV knowledge extraction corpus. The contextual semantic representation is then applied to the downstream task as a key feature through the Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) attention method, while the relation attention mechanism-based approach is used to calculate the relational-aware contextual representation in the subject–object entity extraction stage. Extensive experiments were carried out on the final annotated dataset, and the model F1 score reached 70.23%. Based on this, visual presentation is achieved based on the UAV knowledge graph, which lays the foundation for the back-end application of the UAV knowledge graph intelligent construction technology.
Drones Routing with Stochastic Demand
Authors: Yu Nan , Dong Bin , Qu Yuben , Zhang Mingwei , Wang Yanyan , Dai Haipeng , Yao Changhua
Published: May 2023

Motivated by the increasing number of drones used for package delivery, we first study the problem of Multiple drOne collaborative Routing dEsign (MORE) in this article. That is, given a fixed number of drones and customers, determining the delivery trip for drones under capacity constraint with stochastic demand for customers such that the overall expected traveling cost is minimized. To address the MORE problem, we first prove that MORE falls into the realm of the classical vehicle routing problem with stochastic demand and then propose an effective algorithm for MORE. Next, we have a scheme of resplitting customers into different individual delivery trips while the stochastic demands are determined. Moreover, we consider a variety of MORE, MORE-TW, and design an effective algorithm to address it. We conduct simulation experiments for MORE to verify our theoretical findings. The results show that our algorithm outperforms other comparison algorithms by at least 79.60%.
Joint Beamforming and Phase Shift Design for Hybrid IRS and UAV-Aided Directional Modulation Networks
Authors: Dong Rongen , He Hangjia , Shu Feng , Zhang Qi , Chen Riqing , Yan Shihao , Wang Jiangzhou
Published: May 2023

Recently, intelligent reflecting surfaces (IRSs) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been integrated into wireless communication systems to enhance the performance of air–ground transmission. To balance performance, cost, and power consumption well, a hybrid IRS and UAV-assisted directional modulation (DM) network is investigated in this paper in which the hybrid IRS consisted of passive and active reflecting elements. We aimed to maximize the achievable rate by jointly designing the beamforming and phase shift matrix (PSM) of the hybrid IRS subject to the power and unit-modulus constraints of passive IRS phase shifts. To solve the non-convex optimization problem, a high-performance scheme based on successive convex approximation and fractional programming (FP) called the maximal signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)-FP (Max-SNR-FP) is proposed. Given its high complexity, we propose a low-complexity maximal SNR-equal amplitude reflecting (EAR) (Max-SNR-EAR) scheme based on the maximal signal-to-leakage-noise ratio method, and the criteria of phase alignment and EAR. Given that the active and passive IRS phase shift matrices of both schemes are optimized separately, to investigate the effect of jointly optimizing them to improve the achievable rate, a maximal SNR majorization-minimization (MM) (Max-SNR-MM) scheme using the MM criterion to design the IRS PSM is proposed. Simulation results show that the rates harvested by the three proposed methods were slightly lower than those of the active IRS with higher power consumption, which were 35% higher than those of no IRS and random phase IRS, while passive IRS achieved only about a 17% rate gain over the latter. Moreover, compared with the Max-SNR-FP, the proposed Max-SNR-EAR and Max-SNR-MM methods caused obvious complexity degradation at the price of slight performance loss.