bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Three-Dimensional Quantitative Tumor Response and Survival Analysis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Who Failed Initial Transarterial Chemoembolization: Repeat or Switch Treatment?
Authors: Zhao Yan , Haroun Reham R. , Sahu Sonia , Schernthaner Ruediger E. , Smolka Susanne , Lin Ming-De , Hong Kelvin K. , Georgiades Christos , Duran Rafael
Published: July 2022

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess treatment responses and evaluate survival outcomes between responders and non-responders after each transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) session using the 3D quantitative criteria of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (qEASL) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Methods: A total of 94 consecutive patients who underwent MR imaging before and after TACE were retrospectively included. Volumetric tumor enhancement (qEASL) was expressed in cubic centimeters (cm3). The Kaplan–Meier method with the log-rank test was used to calculate the overall survival (OS) for the non-/responders. Results: In total, 28 (29.8%) patients showed a response after the first TACE. These responders demonstrated a clear trend toward longer OS compared with the non-responders (36.7 vs. 21.5 months, p = 0.071). Of the 43 initial non-responders who underwent a second TACE within 3 months and had complete follow-up imaging, 15/43 (34.9%) achieved a response, and their median OS was significantly longer than that of the 28 non-responders to the second TACE (47.8 vs. 13.6 months, p = 0.01). Furthermore, there was no significant difference in OS between the 28 patients who achieved a response after the first TACE and the 15 initial non-responders who achieved a response after the second TACE (36.7 vs. 47.8 months, p = 0.701). The difference in OS between the responders and non-responders after the third TACE was not significant (11.4 months vs. 13.5 months, p = 0.986). Conclusion: Our study quantitatively demonstrated that a second TACE can be beneficial in terms of tumor response and survival for HCC patients who do not initially respond to TACE.
The Right Treatment Strategy for the Right Patient: A Biomarker-Driven Approach to Neoadjuvant vs. Surgery-First Management of Resectable and Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Nahm Christopher B. , Turchini John , Sahni Sumit , Moon Elizabeth , Itchins Malinda , Arena Jennifer , Chou Angela , Colvin Emily K. , Howell Viive M. , Pavlakis Nick , Clarke Stephen , Samra Jaswinder S. , Gill Anthony J. , Mittal Anubhav
Published: July 2022

The genomic heterogeneity of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is becoming increasingly appreciated. We aimed to evaluate the ability of a triple biomarker panel (S100A4, Ca-125, and mesothelin) to predict: (i) genetic PDAC subtypes; (ii) clinical phenotypes; and (iii) the optimal treatment strategy (neoadjuvant vs. surgery-first) in resectable and borderline resectable PDAC. Patients who underwent resection for resectable and borderline resectable PDAC were included from one single-institutional cohort and one multi-institutional cohort from the Australian Pancreatic Genome Initiative (APGI). Tumors were immunohistochemically evaluated for S100A4, Ca-125, and mesothelin, and a subset from the APGI cohort underwent RNA sequencing. This study included 252 and 226 patients from the single institution and the APGI cohorts, respectively. Triple-negative biomarker status correlated with non-squamous PDAC genotypes (p = 0.020), lower rates of distant recurrence (p = 0.002), and longer median overall survival (mOS) with the surgery-first approach compared with neoadjuvant treatment (33.3 vs. 22.2 mths, p = 0.038) in resectable PDAC. In contrast, the triple-positive disease was associated with longer mOS with neoadjuvant treatment compared with the surgery-first approach (29.5 vs. 13.7 mths, p = 0.021) in resectable and borderline resectable PDAC. In conclusion, the triple biomarker panel predicts genetic PDAC subtypes, clinical phenotypes, and optimal treatment strategies in resectable and borderline resectable PDAC.
A Genome-Wide CRISPR Screen Identifies Factors Regulating Pluripotency Exit in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells
Authors: Gao Chen , Qi Xiaolan , Gao Xin , Li Jin , Qin Yumin , Yin Yunjun , Gao Fei , Feng Tao , Wu Sen , Du Xuguang
Published: July 2022

Pluripotency maintenance and exit in embryonic stem cells is a focal topic in stem cell biology. However, the effects of screening under very stringent culture conditions (e.g., differentiation medium, no leukemia inhibitory factor, no chemical inhibitors such as PD0325901 and CHIR99021, and no feeder cells) and of prolonging culture for key factors that regulate pluripotency exit, have not yet been reported. Here, we used a genome-wide CRISPR library to perform such a screen in mouse embryonic stem cells. Naïve NANOG-GFP mESCs were first transfected with a mouse genome-wide CRISPR knockout library to obtain a mutant mESCs library, followed by screening for two months in a strict N2B27 differentiation medium. The clones that survived our stringent screening were analyzed to identify the inserted sgRNAs. In addition to identifying the enriched genes that were reported in previous studies (Socs3, Tsc1, Trp53, Nf2, Tcf7l1, Csnk1a1, and Dhx30), we found 17 unreported genes, among which Zfp771 and Olfr769 appeared to be involved in pluripotency exit. Furthermore, Zfp771 knockout ESCs showed a differentiation delay in embryonic chimera experiments, indicating Zfp771 played an important role in pluripotency exit. Our results show that stringent screening with the CRISPR library can reveal key regulators of pluripotency exit.
The Functional Role of Long Non-Coding RNA in Myogenesis and Skeletal Muscle Atrophy
Authors: Hitachi Keisuke , Honda Masahiko , Tsuchida Kunihiro
Published: July 2022

Skeletal muscle is a pivotal organ in humans that maintains locomotion and homeostasis. Muscle atrophy caused by sarcopenia and cachexia, which results in reduced muscle mass and impaired skeletal muscle function, is a serious health condition that decreases life longevity in humans. Recent studies have revealed the molecular mechanisms by which long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate skeletal muscle mass and function through transcriptional regulation, fiber-type switching, and skeletal muscle cell proliferation. In addition, lncRNAs function as natural inhibitors of microRNAs and induce muscle hypertrophy or atrophy. Intriguingly, muscle atrophy modifies the expression of thousands of lncRNAs. Therefore, although their exact functions have not yet been fully elucidated, various novel lncRNAs associated with muscle atrophy have been identified. Here, we comprehensively review recent knowledge on the regulatory roles of lncRNAs in skeletal muscle atrophy. In addition, we discuss the issues and possibilities of targeting lncRNAs as a treatment for skeletal muscle atrophy and muscle wasting disorders in humans.
The Influence of MicroRNA-31 on Oxidative Stress and Radiosensitivity in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: McGrath Jason , Kane Laura E. , Maher Stephen G.
Published: July 2022

Radioresistance remains a significant challenge in treating pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), contributing to the poor survival rates of this cancer. MicroRNAs (miRs) are small non-coding RNA molecules that may play an essential role in regulating radioresistance by altering the levels of oxidative stress. In this study, we investigated the role and potential mechanisms linking miR-31 to PDAC radioresistance. A pCMV-miR vector containing a miR-31 mimic was stably expressed into a miR-31-deficient PDAC cell line, BxPC-3. Additionally, a pmiRZip lentivector suppressing miR-31 was stably expressed in a miR-31 abundant PDAC cell line, Panc-1. Clonogenic assays were conducted to explore the role of miR-31 manipulation on radiosensitivity. Fluorometric ROS assays were performed to quantify ROS levels. The expression of potential miR-31 targets was measured by Western blot analysis. It was found that the manipulation of miR-31 altered the radiosensitivity in PDAC cells by regulating oxidative stress. Using online bioinformatics tools, we identified the 3′UTR of GPx8 as a predicted target of miR-31. Our study demonstrates, for the first time, that manipulating miR-31 alters GPx8 expression, regulating ROS detoxification and promoting either a radioresistant or radiosensitive phenotype. MiR-31 may represent a promising therapeutic target for altering radiosensitivity in PDAC cells.
A Systematic Review on the Effect of Nutraceuticals on Antidepressant-Induced Sexual Dysfunctions: From Basic Principles to Clinical Applications
Authors: Concerto Carmen , Rodolico Alessandro , Meo Valeria , Chiappetta Donatella , Bonelli Marina , Mineo Ludovico , Saitta Giulia , Stuto Sebastiano , Signorelli Maria Salvina , Petralia Antonino , Lanza Giuseppe , Aguglia Eugenio
Published: July 2022

Sexual dysfunctions are common side effects reported by patients during antidepressant treatment. When they occur, patients often discontinue psychopharmacological therapy, with a negative impact on the underlying psychiatric disease. Recently, great attention has been paid to the use of nutraceuticals in the management of psychiatric disorders, although a systematic review on their effects as a treatment option for antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunctions (AISD) is lacking. Here, we conducted a systematic search in the following databases: MEDLINE (through PubMed), EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science. We searched eligible studies among parallel or crossover randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in adult populations. After this process, a total of 10 articles that evaluated the effect of six different nutraceuticals versus placebo were included: Maca Root, S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe), Rosa Damascena, Ginkgo Biloba, Saffron, and Yohimbine. Overall, a high dose of Maca Root and the use of SAMe or Saffron may improve AISD. Additionally, the administration of Rosa Damascena seemed to be more effective in men than in women, whereas no evidence of effects emerged for Gingko Biloba and Yohimbine. Given the mixed results still available, future RCTs should consider larger samples and confounding factors, such as depressive status and individual vulnerability.
Vertical Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Miscarriage in the Second Trimester: Report of an Immunohistochemically Proven Case
Authors: Metodiev Dimitar , Ruseva Margarita , Parvanov Dimitar , Ganeva Rumiana , Handzhiyska Maria , Vidolova Nina , Stamenov Georgi
Published: July 2022

It is an acknowledged fact that SARS-CoV-2 exhibits tropism for the human placenta. A possible mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells is via angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors, which are expressed in trophoblasts, endothelial cells, and macrophages. The present study describes a case of spontaneous miscarriage in the 20th gestational week after maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection. The placenta and various fetal organs were examined for structural alterations and expression of the viral nucleocapsid protein and several immune cell markers via immunohistochemistry (IHC). Histopathological examination of the placenta revealed acute chorioamnionitis, acute subamnionic placentitis, multiple intervillous thrombi, increased fibrinoid deposition, and necrotic changes of the chorionic villi. Immunohistochemistry confirmed the presence of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein regions predominantly in the syncytiotrophoblast. Staining of the placental tissue for different markers helped elucidate the distribution of immune cells. Pathomorphological examination of the fetal organs demonstrated changes in microcirculation with the presence of sludge phenomenon and diapedesis haemorrhages, mostly in the lungs, brain, and myocardium. IHC staining of fetal organs revealed expression of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein, which was detected to the highest extent in the brain, lungs, and liver. The findings of the present report support the hypothesis of possible vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from mother to fetus.
Growth Response, Enrichment Effect, and Physiological Response of Different Garden Plants under Combined Stress of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Heavy Metals
Authors: Peng Shan , Jin Yingzhi , Chen Yiqin , Wu Chunman , Wang Yanjie , Wang Xiaowen , Jin Qijiang , Xu Yingchun
Published: July 2022

The combined pollution of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is very common in China and needs urgent addressal. The use of resistant garden plants for phytoremediation accounts for both ecological restoration and ornamental value and has great application potential. In this study, cadmium (Cd) and pyrene (Pyr) were used as contaminants, and the growth responses, enrichment characteristics, and physiological responses of common garden plants were studied using greenhouse pot experiments. The Cd-Pyr compound stress affected the growth responses of plants. Chinese Pennisetum and lotus exhibited the best Cd-Pyr removal effect: the removal rates of Cd were 68.91% and 60.25%, respectively, and those of Pyr were 77.52% and 63.74%, respectively. Compound stress promoted the protective enzymes of ryegrass, lotus, and Chinese Pennisetum. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content in the leaves of the five plants was higher than that in the control group, whereas the chlorophyll and carotenoid content were lower. Overall, the order of resistance of the five garden plants tested under Cd-Pyr compound stress was: Chinese Pennisetum, lotus > ryegrass > Hemerocallis, Purple Coneflower.
Effect of Transparent, Purple, and Yellow Shellac Microcapsules on the Optical Properties and Self-Healing Performance of Waterborne Coatings
Authors: Han Yan , Yan Xiaoxing , Tao Yu
Published: July 2022

Three kinds of melamine-formaldehyde (MF) microcapsules, containing transparent shellac, purple shellac, and yellow shellac as core curing agents, were synthesized via in situ polymerization, and then were embedded into the water-based acrylic resin coatings according to the concentrations of 0, 3.0%, 6.0%, 9.0%, 12.0%, and 15.0%, respectively, to obtain waterborne films with different microcapsule contents. The color of different shellacs was relevant to the color parameters of the self-healing waterborne film. The content of microcapsules was negatively correlated with the chromatic aberration of the surface of waterborne films. When the content of microcapsules was 0–6.0%, the chromatic aberration of waterborne films was relatively low. The content of microcapsules and the color of the different shellacs would affect the light transmittance of waterborne films. Among all samples, the light transmittance of the waterborne film containing 3.0% transparent shellac microcapsules was the highest. The microcapsules with different colors of shellac in waterborne films had different self-repairing effects. When the content of microcapsules did not exceed 6.0%, the tensile repair rate of the waterborne film containing yellow shellac encapsulated microcapsules was the highest, at 47.19%. The scratch experiment illustrated that the scratch width of the waterborne coating with yellow shellac microcapsules decreased most significantly, and the width change rate was 73.0% after 5 days. The coating containing the 3.0% yellow shellac microcapsule has the best comprehensive performance on optical and self-healing properties. Exploring the influence of shellac resin’s color and the microcapsules’ content on the waterborne film provides technical references for the application of shellac in waterborne coatings and contribute to the further development of the preparation process of self-healing coatings.
An Exploratory Study of Tweets about the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant: Insights from Sentiment Analysis, Language Interpretation, Source Tracking, Type Classification, and Embedded URL Detection
Authors: Thakur Nirmalya , Han Chia
Published: July 2022

This paper presents the findings of an exploratory study on the continuously generating Big Data on Twitter related to the sharing of information, news, views, opinions, ideas, knowledge, feedback, and experiences about the COVID-19 pandemic, with a specific focus on the Omicron variant, which is the globally dominant variant of SARS-CoV-2 at this time. A total of 12,028 tweets about the Omicron variant were studied, and the specific characteristics of the tweets that were analyzed include sentiment, language, source, type, and embedded URLs. The findings of this study are manifold. First, from sentiment analysis, it was observed that 50.5% of tweets had a ‘neutral’ emotion. The other emotions—‘bad’, ‘good’, ‘terrible’, and ‘great’—were found in 15.6%, 14.0%, 12.5%, and 7.5% of the tweets, respectively. Second, the findings of language interpretation showed that 65.9% of the tweets were posted in English. It was followed by Spanish or Castillian, French, Italian, Japanese, and other languages, which were found in 10.5%, 5.1%, 3.3%, 2.5%, and <2% of the tweets, respectively. Third, the findings from source tracking showed that “Twitter for Android” was associated with 35.2% of tweets. It was followed by “Twitter Web App”, “Twitter for iPhone”, “Twitter for iPad”, “TweetDeck”, and all other sources that accounted for 29.2%, 25.8%, 3.8%, 1.6%, and <1% of the tweets, respectively. Fourth, studying the type of tweets revealed that retweets accounted for 60.8% of the tweets, it was followed by original tweets and replies that accounted for 19.8% and 19.4% of the tweets, respectively. Fifth, in terms of embedded URL analysis, the most common domain embedded in the tweets was found to be twitter.com, which was followed by biorxiv.org, nature.com, wapo.st, nzherald.co.nz, recvprofits.com, science.org, and other domains. Finally, to support research and development in this field, we have developed an open-access Twitter dataset that comprises Tweet IDs of more than 500,000 tweets about the Omicron variant, posted on Twitter since the first detected case of this variant on 24 November 2021.
Study on the Effect of Different Factors on the Change of the Phosphorus-Rich Phase in High Phosphorus Steel Slag
Authors: Wang Zhongliang , Bao Yanping , Wang Dazhi , Gu Chao , Wang Min
Published: July 2022

With the use of high phosphorus iron ore, there is a large amount of high phosphorus steel slag formed, which is difficult to handle. How to separate the elemental phosphorus has become a key issue in the secondary utilization of steel slag. Experiments found that there were distinct phosphorus-rich phases, iron-rich phases and matrix phases in the high-phosphorus steel slag cooled with the furnace. In this study, the effects of heat treatment conditions and slag basicity on the P2O5 content, as well as the size of the phosphorus-rich phase were investigated. Taking all factors into consideration, the optimal experimental conditions were determined as the holding temperature and time of 1350 °C and 60 min, respectively, and the slag basicity of 1.8. At this time, the P2O5 content in the phosphorus-rich phase reached 24.2%, and the average size of the phosphorus-rich phase was 63.51 μm. The phosphorus-rich phase is separated by crushing and magnetic separation for making phosphate fertilizer, and the residual steel slag is used again for steelmaking, which enables the realization of the resource utilization of high phosphorus steel slag.
Large Lobular Capillary Hemangioma Associated with Ingrown Toenail: Histopathological Features and Case Report
Authors: Córdoba-Fernández Antonio , Jiménez-Cristino María Dolores , Córdoba-Jiménez Victoria Eugenia
Published: July 2022

Lobular capillary hemangioma (LCH-PG) is a type of pyogenic granuloma characterized by proliferating blood vessels that resemble conventional granulation tissue. Granulation tissue is very often seen in association with ingrown toenails. Despite the close relationship between both entities, LCH-PG shows clinically different behaviors, such as rapid growth and frequent recurrence. Currently, it is unknown exactly how the different etiological factors contribute to the formation of differences between entities. We present a case of a large LCH-PG associated with chronic onychocryptosis in a 26-year-old man. Histopathological features included extensive signs of ulceration, hyperkeratosis, and patchy epidermal acanthosis with the presence of fibrous septa with lobular areas beneath the ulcerative area. The presence of stroma with a marked proliferation of blood vessels with wall thickening and mixed-type inflammatory changes was also characteristic. In advanced stages of onychocryptosis, as presented here, conventional granulation tissue or pyogenic granuloma can be clinically difficult to distinguish from other benign or malignant neoplasms. Histological examination is mandatory, and excisional biopsy can provide a definitive diagnosis.
Diagnosis and Management of Febrile Neutropenia in Pediatric Oncology Patients—A Systematic Review
Authors: Boeriu Estera , Borda Alexandra , Vulcanescu Dan Dumitru , Sarbu Vlad , Arghirescu Smaranda Teodora , Ciorica Ovidiu , Bratosin Felix , Marincu Iosif , Horhat Florin George
Published: July 2022

Infectious diseases are associated with a high morbidity and mortality rate among pediatric cancer patients undergoing treatment or receiving a transplant. Neutropenia represents a potentially fatal complication of cancer treatment and is associated with a high risk of developing bacterial infections. Although febrile neutropenia (FN) can affect both adults and children, the latter has a higher chance of infections with an unknown origin. Prompt empiric broad-spectrum antibiotic administration is collectively considered the best therapeutic approach. This review aims to analyze the latest works from the literature regarding the therapeutic strategies, schemes, and approaches and the efficacy of these in pediatric febrile neutropenia. Following PRISMA guidelines, an advanced search on PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library, using the keywords “febrile neutropenia”, “pediatric”, “cancer”, and “oncology”, was performed. A total of 197 articles were found to be eligible. After screening the abstracts and excluding unfit studies, 16 articles were analyzed. There were eight retrospective studies, five prospective studies, and two clinical trials. Altogether, these studies have described around 5000 episodes of FN. The median age of the participants was 7.6 years, and the underlying condition for most of them was acute leukemia. The infectious agent could only be determined in around one-fifth of cases, from which 90% were of bacterial origin. As such, empirical broad-spectrum antibiotics are used, with the most used treatment scheme comprising third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins and antipseudomonal penicillins. In order to improve the treatment strategies of FN episodes and to successfully de-escalate treatments toward narrower-spectrum antibiotics, hospitals and clinics should increase their efforts in identifying the underlying cause of FN episodes through blood culture urine culture and viral tests, wherever infrastructure enables it.
A Diagnostic Gene Expression Signature for Bladder Cancer Can Stratify Cases into Prescribed Molecular Subtypes and Predict Outcome
Authors: Chen Runpu , Pagano Ian , Sun Yijun , Murakami Kaoru , Goodison Steve , Vairavan Ramanathan , Tahsin Malak , Black Peter C. , Rosser Charles J. , Furuya Hideki
Published: July 2022

Bladder cancer is a biologically heterogeneous disease with variable clinical presentations, outcomes and responses to therapy. Thus, the clinical utility of single biomarkers for the detection and prediction of biological behavior of bladder cancer is limited. We have previously identified and validated a bladder cancer diagnostic signature composed of 10 biomarkers, which has been incorporated into a multiplex immunoassay bladder cancer test, Oncuria™. In this study, we evaluate whether these 10 biomarkers can assist in the prediction of bladder cancer clinical outcomes. Tumor gene expression and patient survival data from bladder cancer cases from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were analyzed. Alignment between the mRNA expression of 10 biomarkers and the TCGA 2017 subtype classification was assessed. Kaplan–Meier analysis of multiple gene expression datasets indicated that high expression of the combined 10 biomarkers correlated with a significant reduction in overall survival. The analysis of three independent, publicly available gene expression datasets confirmed that multiplex prognostic models outperformed single biomarkers. In total, 8 of the 10 biomarkers from the Oncuria™ test were significantly associated with either luminal or basal molecular subtypes, and thus, the test has the potential to assist in the prediction of clinical outcome.
Mapping Evidence of Self-Sampling to Diagnose Sexually Transmitted Infections in Women: A Scoping Review
Authors: Jaya Ziningi N. , Mapanga Witness , van Niekerk Brian , Dlangalala Thobeka , Kgarosi Kabelo , Dzobo Mathias , Mulqueeny Delarise , Mashamba-Thompson Tivani P.
Published: July 2022

Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a major global healthcare burden, disproportionately affecting women. Self-sampling interventions for diagnostic purposes have the potential to improve STI healthcare management and expand STI services. However, there is currently no published evidence of the global use of self-sampling interventions to diagnose STIs in women. The main aim of this scoping review was to map evidence on the use of self-sampling interventions to diagnose STIs in women. Methodology: The methodology of this scoping review was guided by Arksey and O’Malley and Levac. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Medline (EBSCO), ProQuest, and Cochrane. For grey literature, a search was conducted in Open Grey, World Health Organization, Google, and conference proceedings and dissertations. All search results were screened and assessed for eligibility. Thereafter data from eligible studies was extracted and analysed. The quality of these studies was appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool 2018 version. Results: A total of 770 articles were retrieved from databases and grey literature sources. A total of 44 studies were eligible for data extraction following title, abstract and full-text screening. Of the included studies, 63% presented evidence of research conducted in high-income countries and 37% presented evidence in low- and middle-income countries. Studies presented evidence on the following: feasibility of self-sampling in remote areas; acceptance and ease of use of self-sampling interventions; types of self-sampled specimens; pooled samples for diagnosing STIs; laboratory diagnostic assays for STI using self-sampled specimens; and self-testing of self-sampled specimens. Conclusions: Self-sampling interventions are feasible and easy to use and, therefore, can improve STI management and treatment in women across various age groups and various access levels to good-quality healthcare. Despite this, there is a lack of evidence of self-sampling interventions designed according to user preferences. We recommend studies to collaborate with women to co-develop user-friendly self-sampling interventions to diagnose STIs in women.
Rapid Evaluation Model of Endurance Performance and Its Application for Agricultural UAVs
Authors: Li Jiyu , Long Bo , Wu Han , Hu Xiaodan , Wei Xu , Zhang Zhixun , Chai Lin , Xie Jindian , Mei Huilan
Published: July 2022

Current developments in agricultural aviation technology have gradually increased the requirements for the endurance of agricultural unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). It is significant to establish an endurance evaluation model for different types of UAVs and rationalize the battery and operating load parameters on this basis, which play an important role in improving the operational efficiency of the whole UAV. Taking the quad-rotor UAV as the research object, firstly, the structural composition of the whole UAV is studied in this paper, and then the main influencing parameters of the UAV endurance evaluation model are determined, combined with the mass distribution data of specific models. Based on the above, the hovering output power of the UAV is modularly divided, and a fast measurement method is innovatively proposed to sample and fit the power data of each module. Finally, in combination with the variation law of the lithium battery discharge time, a rapid evaluation method of the endurance time of agricultural UAVs is derived and validated by the hovering test data of the agri-drone with a standard operating load of 5 kg. The results show that the mass distribution system of the UAV has the highest percentage of operational load mass (40.45% under the standard configuration); the power distribution system has the highest percentage of motor pull curve output power (91.12% under the standard configuration); the maximum error of the surface verification point in the validation experiment is 2.73%, and the model is of relatively high accuracy. The modeling idea and the supporting module power rapid measurement method can quickly model and evaluate the endurance of common agricultural drones, guide reasonable matching between the battery and operating load, and are of great significance in improving UAVs’ endurance and operational efficiency.
Deep Compressive Sensing on ECG Signals with Modified Inception Block and LSTM
Authors: Hua Jing , Rao Jue , Peng Yingqiong , Liu Jizhong , Tang Jianjun
Published: July 2022

In practical electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring, there are some challenges in reducing the data burden and energy costs. Therefore, compressed sensing (CS) which can conduct under-sampling and reconstruction at the same time is adopted in the ECG monitoring application. Recently, deep learning used in CS methods improves the reconstruction performance significantly and can removes of some of the constraints in traditional CS. In this paper, we propose a deep compressive-sensing scheme for ECG signals, based on modified-Inception block and long short-term memory (LSTM). The framework is comprised of four modules: preprocessing; compression; initial; and final reconstruction. We adaptively compressed the normalized ECG signals, sequentially using three convolutional layers, and reconstructed the signals with a modified Inception block and LSTM. We conducted our experiments on the MIT-BIH Arrhythmia Database and Non-Invasive Fetal ECG Arrhythmia Database to validate the robustness of our model, adopting Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and percentage Root-mean-square Difference (PRD) as the evaluation metrics. The PRD of our scheme was the lowest and the SNR was the highest at all of the sensing rates in our experiments on both of the databases, and when the sensing rate was higher than 0.5, the PRD was lower than 2%, showing significant improvement in reconstruction performance compared to the comparative methods. Our method also showed good recovering quality in the noisy data.
Multibeam SIW Leaky-Wave Antenna with Beam Scanning Capability in Two Dimensions
Authors: Kamalzadeh Saeed , Soleimani Mohammad
Published: July 2022

This paper presents a 2D multibeam antenna (2D-MBA) for two-dimensional scanning of space with fully passive elements using the substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) leaky-wave antenna (LWA) and Rotman lens for telecommunication applications. An LWA structure with 19 slot elements based on SIW in the frequency range of 14.5–22.5 GHz was designed to scan theta angles from −60 to +35 degrees, and a wideband Rotman lens was designed with five inputs, five outputs, and eight dummy ports to scan phi angles from −30 to +30 degrees. Finally, for two-dimensional space scanning, a five-element SIW LWA array was combined with a Rotman lens, and the whole structure was simulated and implemented in full-wave CST software. By optimizing the structure, the return losses of the input ports were below −10 dB, and the maximum measured gain was 20.3 dBi.
Study on Fractal Characteristics of Evolution of Mining-Induced Fissures in Karst Landform
Authors: Gou Rentao , Jiang Chengyu , Liu Yong , Wang Chen , Li Yuanlin
Published: July 2022

The karst landscape is widespread in the southern region of China. As a result of underground mining activities, the original stress equilibrium is disrupted, causing the redistribution of stress in the overlying rock layer, inducing the longitudinal fracture of mining to expand and penetrate upwards, resulting in the rupture and destabilization of the karst cave roof, thus triggering a series of engineering problems such as karst cave collapse, landslide, the discontinuous deformation of the ground surface, and soil erosion. In order to study the evolutionary characteristics of buried rock fissures in shallow coal seam mining under the karst landform, taking the shallow coal seam with the typical karst cave development landform in Guizhou as the engineering background, based on the similarity simulation experiment and fractal theory, the evolution law of buried rock fissures and network fractal characteristics under the disturbance of the karst landform mining are analyzed. The research shows that the mining-induced fracture reaches the maximum development height of 61 m on the left side of the cave, and the two sides of the cave produce uncoordinated deformation. The separation fracture below the cave is relatively developed, and the overall distribution pattern of the cave rock fracture network presents a “ladder” shape. The correlation coefficient of the fractal dimension of the rock fractures under different advancing distances is more than 0.90, and the rock fracture network under the karst landform has high self-similarity. The variation of fractal dimension with the advancing degree of the working face can be divided into four stages. The first and second stages show an exponential growth trend, and the third and fourth stages show linear changes with slopes of 0.0007 and 0.0014, respectively. The fluctuation of the fractal dimension is small. The periodic weighting of the upper roof in the cave-affected zone is frequent, the fragmentation of the fractured rock mass becomes larger, and the fractures of the upper rock mass are relatively developed. The research results can provide a reference for the study on the evolution law of mining-induced rock fissures under similar karst landforms.
Nonlinear Surface Conductivity Characteristics of Epoxy Resin-Based Micro-Nano Structured Composites
Authors: Guo Ning , Sun Jiaming , Li Yunlei , Lv Xiaoyu , Gao Junguo , He Mingpeng , Zhang Yue
Published: July 2022

Nonlinear composite materials serve to homogenize electric fields and can effectively improve the local concentration of the electric field in power systems. In order to study the nonlinear surface conductivity properties of micro-nano epoxy composites, two types of epoxy micro-nano composite specimens were prepared in the laboratory using the co-blending method. The surface conductivity of the composites was tested under different conditions using a high-voltage DC surface conductivity test system. The results show that the surface conductivity of micro-nano structured composites increases and then decreases with the rise of nanofiller doping concentration. The nonlinear coefficient was 1.781 at 4 wt% of doped nanostructured SiC, which was the most significant nonlinear coefficient compared to other doping contents. For the same doping concentration, the micro-nano structured composites doped with nanostructured SiC have more significant surface conductivity at the same test temperature with a nonlinear coefficient of 1.635. As the temperature increases, the surface conductivity of the micro-nano structured composite increases significantly, and the threshold field strength moves towards the high electric field. Along with the increase in temperature, the nonlinear coefficients of micro-nano composites after doping with nanostructured SiC showed a gradually decreasing trend. The temperature has little effect on the nonlinear coefficients of the micro-nano structured composites after doping with O-MMT.
Multi-Step Ahead Short-Term Electricity Load Forecasting Using VMD-TCN and Error Correction Strategy
Authors: Zhou Fangze , Zhou Hui , Li Zhaoyan , Zhao Kai
Published: July 2022

The electricity load forecasting plays a pivotal role in the operation of power utility companies precise forecasting and is crucial to mitigate the challenges of supply and demand in the smart grid. More recently, the hybrid models combining signal decomposition and artificial neural networks have received popularity due to their applicability to reduce the difficulty of prediction. However, the commonly used decomposition algorithms and recurrent neural network-based models still confront some dilemmas such as boundary effects, time consumption, etc. Therefore, a hybrid prediction model combining variational mode decomposition (VMD), a temporal convolutional network (TCN), and an error correction strategy is proposed. To address the difficulty in determining the decomposition number and penalty factor for VMD decomposition, the idea of weighted permutation entropy is introduced. The decomposition hyperparameters are optimized by using a comprehensive indicator that takes account of the complexity and amplitude of the subsequences. Besides, a temporal convolutional network is adopted to carry out feature extraction and load prediction for each subsequence, with the primary forecasting results obtained by combining the prediction of each TCN model. In order to further improve the accuracy of prediction for the model, an error correction strategy is applied according to the prediction error of the train set. The Global Energy Competition 2014 dataset is employed to demonstrate the effectiveness and practicality of the proposed hybrid model. The experimental results show that the prediction performance of the proposed hybrid model outperforms the contrast models. The accuracy achieves 0.274%, 0.326%, and 0.405 for 6-steps, 12-steps, and 24 steps ahead forecasting, respectively, in terms of the mean absolute percentage error.
The Role of Genetics in Central Precocious Puberty: Confirmed and Potential Neuroendocrine Genetic and Epigenetic Contributors and Their Interactions with Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs)
Authors: Mucci Andrea , Clemente Ethel
Published: July 2022

Despite the growing prevalence of central precocious puberty (CPP), most cases are still diagnosed as “idiopathic” due to the lack of identifiable findings of other diagnostic etiology. We are gaining greater insight into some key genes affecting neurotransmitters and receptors and how they stimulate or inhibit gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion, as well as transcriptional and epigenetic influences. Although the genetic contributions to pubertal regulation are more established in the hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH) literature, cases of CPP have provided the opportunity to learn more about its own genetic influences. There have been clinically confirmed cases of CPP associated with gene mutations in kisspeptin and its receptor (KISS1, KISS1R), Delta-like noncanonical Notch ligand 1 (DLK1), and the now most commonly identified genetic cause of CPP, makorin ring finger protein (MKRN3). In addition to these proven genetic causes, a number of other candidates continue to be evaluated. After reviewing the basic clinical aspects of puberty, we summarize what is known about the various genetic and epigenetic causes of CPP as well as discuss some of the potential effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on some of these processes.
Soil Properties under Artificial Mixed Forests in the Desert-Yellow River Coastal Transition Zone, China
Authors: Li Haonian , Meng Zhongju , Dang Xiaohong , Yang Puchang
Published: July 2022

Mixed forests play a key role in the environmental restoration of desert ecosystems and in order to address the improvement of soil properties by different mixed vegetation types. We selected four typical mixed vegetation types (including: Populus alba var. pyramidalis × Caragana korshinskii, P. pyramidalis × Hedysarum mongdicum, P. pyramidalis × Hedysarum scoparium and Hedysarum scoparium × Salix cheilophila) that have been restored for 22 years and the moving sandy land in the transition zone between the desert and the Yellow River in northern China. We compared the differences in soil properties using a total of 45 soil samples from the 0–30 cm soil layer (10 cm units). We found that revegetation had a significant positive effect on fine particles, soil nutrients, soil bulk density (SBD), and soil fractal dimension (D) values. Soil D values under different types of vegetation range from 2.16 to 2.37. Soil nutrients and fractal dimension showed highly significant or stronger negative correlations with SBD and sand and highly significant or stronger positive correlations with clay and silt. The construction of P. pyramidalis × C. korshinskii improved the soil texture better than other vegetation restoration types. Compared to the mobile sandy land, organic carbon (SOC), available phosphorus (AP), available potassium (AK), alkaline hydrolysis nitrogen (AN), total nitrogen (TN), total potassium (TK), clay, and silt increased by 161%, 238%, 139%, 30%, 125%, 69%, 208%, and 441% respectively. As mentioned above, P. pyramidalis × C. korshinskii is a suitable type of mixed vegetation restoration for the area. In addition, establishing vegetation with high nitrogen fixation rates in desert ecosystems tolerant to drought and aeolian conditions is beneficial in reversing the trend of desertification. This research will suggest vegetation building strategies for controlling desertification.
Recreational Visit to Suburban Forests during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Taiwan
Authors: Chen Yung-Chih , Tsai Frank C. , Tsai Ming-Jer , Liu Wan-Yu
Published: July 2022

COVID-19 global pandemic has caused massive disruption of travel behaviors along with other aspects of human life, such as social distancing, staying at home, and avoiding crowds. People substituted outdoor activities for indoor activities, and the forest environment has become a popular alternative. Taiwan has a high population density, but it had few COVID-19 confirmed cases in 2020 during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. No forest areas have been closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. In light of this generally increased demand for suburban forests for recreational uses, the current COVID-19 pandemic situation poses specific challenges regarding forest use, management, and policy. This study integrates visitation numbers of the popular forest recreation area and selects the unblocking index and social distancing index as the COVID-19 index to capture the impacts of forest recreation area on the COVID-19 outbreak in Taiwan. The results show both COVID-19 indices have high explanatory power for suburban forest visitation and both have a significant impact on the number of visitors. Although the number of visitors to suburban forests decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic alert, it bounced when the COVID-19 outbreak was under control. This study provides a brief overview of management implications for recreational visits during COVID-19. We posed an early warning to forest managers for greater revenge traveling post-COVID-19.
Improvement of Rumen Fermentation Efficiency Using Different Energy Sources: In Vitro Comparison between Buffalo and Cow
Authors: Vastolo Alessandro , Matera Roberta , Serrapica Francesco , Cutrignelli Monica I. , Neglia Gianluca , Kiatti Dieu donné , Calabrò Serena
Published: July 2022

During haymaking and ensilage, a significant loss of sugars occurs. The addition of a total mixed ratio (TMR) with a liquid feed might provide promptly utilisable energy and recover the nutrients lost during the conservation. Interesting results were already obtained by including liquid feed in a TMR in a dairy cow. However, the possibility to also utilize them in Italian Mediterranean buffalo is not yet supported by data. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro fermentation characteristics and kinetics of different types of liquid feed, utilising bovine and buffalo rumen liquor as inocula. TMR supplemented with 0.025 g of four different liquid feeds was incubated with the TMR as control with buffalo and bovine rumen fluid using in vitro gas production technique. Considering bovine inoculum, all the experimental diets showed lower organic matter degradability and higher volatile fatty acid production than control TMR, while with buffalo rumen liquor, significant differences were observed between experimental and control diets in terms of gas production and fermentation kinetics. The tested liquid feeds can have different fermentation patterns depending on their ingredients and compositions. Supplementing liquid feeds to a standard diet seems to provide a source of energy that improves fermentation. No negative effects were observed on the in vitro fermentation at the dosage utilised.
A Smart Parking Solution by Integrating NB-IoT Radio Communication Technology into the Core IoT Platform
Authors: Kadusic Esad , Zivic Natasa , Ruland Christoph , Hadzajlic Narcisa
Published: July 2022

With the emerging Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, the smart city paradigm has become a reality. Wireless low-power communication technologies (LPWAN) are widely used for device connection in smart homes, smart lighting, mitering, and so on. This work suggests a new approach to a smart parking solution using the benefits of narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) technology. NB-IoT is an LPWAN technology dedicated to sensor communication within 5G mobile networks. This paper proposes the integration of NB-IoT into the core IoT platform, enabling direct sensor data navigation to the IoT radio stations for processing, after which they are forwarded to the user application programming interface (API). Showcasing the results of our research and experiments, this work suggests the ability of NB-IoT technology to support geolocation and navigation services, as well as payment and reservation services for vehicle parking to make the smart parking solutions smarter.
Exploring Distributed Deep Learning Inference Using Raspberry Pi Spark Cluster
Authors: James Nicholas , Ong Lee-Yeng , Leow Meng-Chew
Published: July 2022

Raspberry Pi (Pi) is a versatile general-purpose embedded computing device that can be used for both machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) inference applications such as face detection. This study trials the use of a Pi Spark cluster for distributed inference in TensorFlow. Specifically, it investigates the performance difference between a 2-node Pi 4B Spark cluster and other systems, including a single Pi 4B and a mid-end desktop computer. Enhancements for the Pi 4B were studied and compared against the Spark cluster to identify the more effective method in increasing the Pi 4B’s DL performance. Three experiments involving DL inference, which in turn involve image classification and face detection tasks, were carried out. Results showed that enhancing the Pi 4B was faster than using a cluster as there was no significant performance difference between using the cluster and a single Pi 4B. The difference between the mid-end computer and a single Pi 4B was between 6 and 15 times in the experiments. In the meantime, enhancing the Pi 4B is the more effective approach for increasing the DL performance, and more work needs to be done for scalable distributed DL inference to eventuate.