bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Colorectal Cancer Stem Cells and Oxaliplatin-Resistant Cells Unveils Functional Similarities
Authors: Rodríguez-Fanjul Vanessa , Guerrero-López Rosa , Fernández-Varas Beatriz , Perona Rosario , Sastre-Perona Ana , Sastre Leandro
Published: February 2022

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer in women, the third in men, and an important cause of cancer-related mortality. Recurrence and the development of chemotherapy resistance are major hindrances for patients’ treatment. The presence of cancer stem cells with chemotherapy resistance able to generate proliferating tumor cells contributes to tumor recurrence and resistance. In addition, tumor cells can develop chemoresistance through adaptation mechanisms. In this article, cancer stem cells were isolated from HT29 and SW620 colorectal cancer cell lines. Oxaliplatin resistance was induced by a single drug treatment simulating the usual guidelines of patient treatment. A comparison of these two populations showed similarities since cancer stem cells presented increased oxaliplatin resistance, and resistant cells contained an increased number of cancer stem cells. Cancer stem cells isolated from resistant cells showed increased oxaliplatin resistance. Cell invasion capacity and epithelial-mesenchymal transition were increased both in cancer stem cells and oxaliplatin-resistant cells. mRNA expression analysis showed that both cell types shared a significant proportion of commonly regulated genes. In summary, the data presented indicate that colorectal cancer stem cells and oxaliplatin-resistant cells are highly related cell populations that might have interesting implications in the development of tumor recurrence and resistance to chemotherapy.
Acknowledgment to Reviewers of Ceramics in 2021
Authors:   Ceramics Editorial Office
Published: February 2022

Rigorous peer-reviews are the basis of high-quality academic publishing [...]
Improvement of Mechanical Properties with Non-Equimolar CrNbTaVW High Entropy Alloy
Authors: Antão Francisco , Martins Ricardo , Correia José Brito , da Silva Rui Coelho , Gonçalves António Pereira , Tejado Elena , Pastor José Ygnacio , Alves Eduardo , Dias Marta
Published: February 2022

CrNbTaVWx with (x = 1 and 1.7) high entropy alloys have been devised for thermal barriers between the plasma-facing tungsten tiles and the copper-based heat sink in the first wall of fusion nuclear reactors. These novel materials were prepared by ball milling and consolidated by Upgrade Field Assisted Sintering Technology at 1873 K under an applied pressure of 90 MPa for 10 min. In this work, the structural and mechanical properties of these materials were evaluated. Consolidated samples presented a major phase with a bcc-type structure with lattice parameter value of 0.316 nm for CrNbTaVW and CrNbTaVW1.7 compositions. Moreover, observation of the microstructures evidences also two minor phases: Ta-Nb-Cr and Ta-V rich (in which carbon is detected). Despite the similarity in the structural properties of these two alloys, their mechanical properties are distinct. The flexural stress for the sample with higher amount of W (CrNbTaVW1.7) is higher by 50% in the 298–873 K range, with an increased strain to fracture, which can be associated with reduced brittleness caused by the additional W incorporation.
Retinal Vascularization Abnormalities Studied by Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA) in Type 2 Diabetic Patients with Moderate Diabetic Retinopathy
Authors: Fernández-Espinosa Guisela , Boned-Murillo Ana , Orduna-Hospital Elvira , Díaz-Barreda María Dolores , Sánchez-Cano Ana , Bielsa-Alonso Sofía , Acha Javier , Pinilla Isabel
Published: February 2022

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the most severe and frequent retinal vascular disease that causes significant visual loss on a global scale. The purpose of our study was to evaluate retinal vascularization in the superficial capillary plexus (SCP), the deep capillary plexus (DCP) and the choriocapillaris (CC) and changes in the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) by optical tomography angiography (OCTA) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) with moderate DR but without diabetic macular oedema (DME). Fifty-four eyes of DM2 with moderate DR (level 43 in the ETDRS scale) and without DME and 73 age-matched healthy eyes were evaluated using OCTA with swept-source (SS)-OCT to measure microvascularization changes in SCP, DCP, CC and the FAZ. The mean ages were 64.06 ± 11.98 and 60.79 ± 8.62 years in the DM2 and control groups, respectively. Visual acuity (VA) was lower in the DM2 patients (p = 0.001), OCTA showed changes in the SCP with a significant diminution in the vascular density and the FAZ area was significantly higher compared to healthy controls, with p < 0.001 at the SCP level. The most prevalent anatomical alterations were peripheral disruption in the SCP (83.3%), microaneurysms (MA) in the SCP and in the DCP (79.6% and 79.6%, respectively) and flow changes in the DCP (81.5%). A significant positive correlation was observed between the DM2 duration and the FAZ area in the SCP (0.304 with p = 0.025). A significant negative correlation was also found between age and CC central perfusion (p < 0.001). In summary, a decrease in the vascular density in DM2 patients with moderate DR without DME was observed, especially at the retinal SPC level. Furthermore, it was found that the FAZ was increased in the DM2 group in both retinal plexuses and was greater in the SCP group.
Energy Efficiency Analysis of Code Refactoring Techniques for Green and Sustainable Software in Portable Devices
Authors: Şanlıalp İbrahim , Öztürk Muhammed Maruf , Yiğit Tuncay
Published: February 2022

Code refactoring is a time-consuming and effort-intensive process that is applied for making improvements to source codes. There exist several refactoring techniques to improve software quality. Some of them aim to reduce the energy consumption of the software. However, the combination of applied refactoring techniques is crucial to the success rate. In addition, to provide sustainable services on portable devices such as mobile phones and laptops, which rely on batteries, improving and optimizing the energy efficiency is important. This study focuses on examining the effect of code refactoring techniques on energy consumption. A total of 25 different source codes of applications programmed in the C# and Java languages are selected for the study, and combinations obtained from refactoring techniques are applied to these source codes. The combinations applied are analyzed using the maintainability index. Power consumption estimation tools are used to measure the energy consumption of the original and refactored codes. The results show that the combinations significantly improve the software’s energy efficiency. The results will provide a better understanding of the relationship between the energy efficiency of software and refactoring techniques. Moreover, they will help developers to improve their object-oriented code in terms of both energy efficiency and sustainability.
Structural, Mechanical and Electrical Characteristics of Copper Coatings Obtained by Various Electrodeposition Processes
Authors: Mladenović Ivana O. , Bošković Marko V. , Vuksanović Marija M. , Nikolić Nebojša D. , Lamovec Jelena S. , Vasiljević-Radović Dana G. , Radojević Vesna J.
Published: February 2022

Mechanical (hardness and adhesion) and electrical (sheet resistance) characteristics of electrolytically produced copper coatings have been investigated. Morphologies of Cu coatings produced galvanostatically at two current densities from the basic sulfate electrolyte and from an electrolyte containing levelling/brightening additives without and with application of ultrasound for the electrolyte stirring were characterized by SEM and AFM techniques. Mechanical characteristics were examined by Vickers microindentation using the Chen–Gao (C–G) composite hardness model, while electrical characteristics were examined by the four-point probe method. Application of ultrasound achieved benefits on both hardness and adhesion of the Cu coatings, thereby the use of both the larger current density and additive-free electrolyte improved these mechanical characteristics. The hardness of Cu coatings calculated according to the C–G model was in the 1.1844–1.2303 GPa range for fine-grained Cu coatings obtained from the sulfate electrolyte and in the 0.8572–1.1507 GPa range for smooth Cu coatings obtained from the electrolyte with additives. Analysis of the electrical characteristics of Cu coatings after an aging period of 4 years showed differences in the sheet resistance between the top and the bottom sides of the coating, which is attributed to the formation of a thin oxide layer on the coating surface area.
A Novel Approach to Face Pattern Analysis
Authors: Bhushan Shashi , Alshehri Mohammed , Agarwal Neha , Keshta Ismail , Rajpurohit Jitendra , Abugabah Ahed
Published: February 2022

Recognizing facial expressions is a major challenge and will be required in the latest fields of research such as the industrial Internet of Things. Currently, the available methods are useful for detecting singular facial images, but they are very hard to extract. The main aim of face detection is to capture an image in real-time and search for the image in the available dataset. So, by using this biometric feature, one can recognize and verify the person’s image by their facial features. Many researchers have used Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Support Vector Machine (SVM), a combination of PCA and SVM, PCA with an Artificial Neural Network, and even the traditional PCA-SVM to improve face recognition. PCA-SVM is better than PCA-ANN as PCA-ANN has the limitation of a small dataset. As far as classification and generalization are concerned, SVM requires fewer parameters and generates less generalization errors than an ANN. In this paper, we propose a new framework, called FRS-DCT-SVM, that uses GA-RBF for face detection and optimization and the discrete cosine transform (DCT) to extract features. FRS-DCT-SVM using GA-RBF gives better results in terms of clustering time. The average accuracy received by FRS-DCT-SVM using GA-RBF is 98.346, which is better than that of PCA-SVM and SVM-DCT (86.668 and 96.098, respectively). In addition, a comparison is made based on the training, testing, and classification times.
Experimental and Numerical Study of a Two-Stage Swirl Burner
Authors: Lin Jiming , Li Haozhen , Zhang Yong , Yang Jianhong
Published: February 2022

In this study, we developed the design process and optimization of structural parameters of a new low-NOx burner based on low-NOx combustion technology and the flame stabilization principle. Firstly, on the basis of the two-stage swirl burner, we applied the fuel-graded combustion technology and introduced the central nozzle structure to explore the influence law of graded combustion on NOx emissions. Secondly, on the previously optimized structure, the matching law between the first- and second-stage cyclone blades is analyzed to obtain the optimum structural design solution for heat exchange efficiency and flame front length. Finally, a new conical blunt structure is introduced in conjunction with the flame stabilization principle, and we discuss the effects of different half cone angles on the flame stabilization, flame front length, and heat exchange efficiency of the burner. The research in this paper provides a reliable direction for the design optimization of low-NOx burners.
Management of Radioactive Waste from HTGR Reactors including Spent TRISO Fuel—State of the Art
Authors: Kiegiel Katarzyna , Herdzik-Koniecko Irena , Fuks Leon , Zakrzewska-Kołtuniewicz Grażyna
Published: February 2022

In light of the increasing demand for energy sources in the world and the need to meet climate goals set by countries, there is growing global interest in high temperature gas cooled reactors (HTGRs), especially as they are known to be inherently safe nuclear reactors. The safety of HTGRs results, among other, from the nature of the nuclear fuel used in them in the form of coated TRISO particles (tri-structural-isotropic) and the reduction of the total amount of radioactive waste generated. This paper reviews numerous methods used to ensure the sustainable, feasible management and long-term storage of HTGR nuclear waste for the protection of the environment and society. The types of waste generated in the HTGR cycle are presented as well as the methods of their characterization, which are important for long-time storage and final disposal. Two leading nuclear fuel cycle strategies, the once-through cycle (direct disposal or open cycle) and the twice-through cycle (recycling or partially closed cycle), are discussed also in relation to TRISO spent fuel. A short review of the possibilities of treatment of TRISO spent nuclear fuel from HTGR reactors is made.
Post-Harvest Quality Evaluation of “Soreli” Kiwifruit at Two Ripening °Brix Values from Vineyards of Different Age Under Hail Nets
Authors: Grasso Claudia , Forniti Roberto , Botondi Rinaldo
Published: February 2022

The application of anti-hail nets is a practice that has been employed for a long time on different fruit and vegetable cultivations and in different fields of the world. In this work, we checked the effects of shading with white anti-hail nets on the post-harvest quality of “Soreli” kiwifruit collected at two different °Brix (7–8 and 8–9) from vineyards of two different ages (8 and 9 years) and stored at 1 °C for 90 days. It was observed that during the storage, the firmness and color parameters (L*, a*, b*, and Chroma) and the SSC content were generally higher in kiwifruit samples harvested in open field than in those under the nets. Regarding the bioactive compounds, the open field samples showed higher values in total flavonoids content during storage, and the content of carotenoids and chlorophylls in fruits grown in open fields was higher from 30–45 days up to the end of the storage. In contrast, the polyphenols and ascorbic acid values of fruits in open fields and under the nets showed a similar evolution of the values from 45 to 60 days. In general, the early and late harvest time based on the °Brix values and the different ages of the kiwifruit plants under the nets did not affect the quality parameters.
A Fractional Analysis of Hyperthermia Therapy on Breast Cancer in a Porous Medium along with Radiative Microwave Heating
Authors: Khan Dolat , Rahman Ata ur , Kumam Poom , Watthayu Wiboonsak
Published: February 2022

Cancer is a prominent source of mortality and morbidity globally, but little is known about how it develops and spreads. Tumor cells are unable to thrive in high-temperature environments, according to recent research. Hyperthermia is the name for this therapy method. This study provides insights into hyperthermia therapy on breast cancer in the presence of a porous material with fractional derivative access when using radiative microwave heating. The mathematical model is formulated by PDE, while the time-fractional Caputo derivative is applied to make our equation more general as compared to the classical model. To produce a more efficient analysis of blood temperature distributions inside the tissues of the breast, the unsteady state is calculated by using the Laplace transform technique. The Laplace inversion is found by Durbin’s and Zakian’s algorithms. The treatment involves mild temperature hyperthermia, which causes cell death by enhancing cell sensitivity to radiation therapy and blood flow in the tumor. The variations of different parameters to control the temperate profile during therapy are discussed; we can also see how a fractional parameter makes our study more realistic for further experimental study.
Detecting Depression Signs on Social Media: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Salas-Zárate Rafael , Alor-Hernández Giner , Salas-Zárate María del Pilar , Paredes-Valverde Mario Andrés , Bustos-López Maritza , Sánchez-Cervantes José Luis
Published: February 2022

Among mental health diseases, depression is one of the most severe, as it often leads to suicide; due to this, it is important to identify and summarize existing evidence concerning depression sign detection research on social media using the data provided by users. This review examines aspects of primary studies exploring depression detection from social media submissions (from 2016 to mid-2021). The search for primary studies was conducted in five digital libraries: ACM Digital Library, IEEE Xplore Digital Library, SpringerLink, Science Direct, and PubMed, as well as on the search engine Google Scholar to broaden the results. Extracting and synthesizing the data from each paper was the main activity of this work. Thirty-four primary studies were analyzed and evaluated. Twitter was the most studied social media for depression sign detection. Word embedding was the most prominent linguistic feature extraction method. Support vector machine (SVM) was the most used machine-learning algorithm. Similarly, the most popular computing tool was from Python libraries. Finally, cross-validation (CV) was the most common statistical analysis method used to evaluate the results obtained. Using social media along with computing tools and classification methods contributes to current efforts in public healthcare to detect signs of depression from sources close to patients.
The Mediation Role of Fatness in Associations between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Blood Pressure after High-Intensity Interval Training in Adolescents
Authors: Domaradzki Jarosław , Koźlenia Dawid , Popowczak Marek
Published: February 2022

Background: Low cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), elevated blood pressure (BP), and high fatness are cardiovascular disease risk factors. It remains unknown how fatness affects the influence of CRF on BP. Therefore, the aim was to examine whether the associations between baseline CRF and HIIT-postintervention resting BP were mediated through fatness in adolescents. Material and methods: The sample (n = 64) comprised 28 boys 36 girls aged 16 years. The analysed factors were fitness index- reflecting CRF, body fat mass (BFM), fat mass index (FMI), and body mass index (BMI). Bootstrapped mediation procedures were performed. The mediation analysis was conducted concerning the sex moderation effect. Results: The mediation effect of sex was confirmed; therefore, mediations models were designed separately for boys and girls. The results showed a statistically significant inverse relationship between baseline CRF and post-intervention systolic blood pressure (SBP) in both sexes (boys: B = −0.603, p = 0.010; girls: B = −0.394, p = 0.037). The relations between CRF and SBP revealed the mediation effect of the BFM and the FMI only in boys. Conclusions: Fatness mediated associations between CRF and SBP in boys. Therefore, both CRF and fatness are necessary to maintain positive results of the BP revealed in normal SBP ranges after HIIT.
Building H.O.U.S.E (Healthy Outcomes Using a Supportive Environment): Exploring the Role of Affordable and Inclusive Housing for LGBTQIA+ Older Adults
Authors: Rosenwohl-Mack Amy , Smith Darin , Greene Meredith , Skultety Karyn , Deutsch Madeline , Dubbin Leslie , Flatt Jason D.
Published: February 2022

Little is known about how permanent, inclusive, affordable, and supportive long-term housing may affect the health of low-income lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and/or another identity (LGBTQIA+) older adults. Focus group interviews were conducted with 21 older adults to explore the lived experiences and potential health benefits of living in a new LGBTQIA+-welcoming senior housing. Participants reported that moving into the housing was associated with benefits for health and well-being, especially for psychological health. Community, social support, and in-house services were particularly important. However, the combined nature of LGBTQIA+-welcoming and older adult only housing evoked mixed feelings. Appropriate and accessible housing solutions are essential for LGBTQIA+ older adults and may help address health disparities for these populations.
Sleep Disturbance and Metabolic Dysfunction: The Roles of Adipokines
Authors: Wei Zhikui , Chen You , Upender Raghu P.
Published: February 2022

Adipokines are a growing group of peptide or protein hormones that play important roles in whole body metabolism and metabolic diseases. Sleep is an integral component of energy metabolism, and sleep disturbance has been implicated in a wide range of metabolic disorders. Accumulating evidence suggests that adipokines may play a role in mediating the close association between sleep disorders and systemic metabolic derangements. In this review, we briefly summarize a group of selected adipokines and their identified function in metabolism. Moreover, we provide a balanced overview of these adipokines and their roles in sleep physiology and sleep disorders from recent human and animal studies. These studies collectively demonstrate that the functions of adipokine in sleep physiology and disorders could be largely twofold: (1) adipokines have multifaceted roles in sleep physiology and sleep disorders, and (2) sleep disturbance can in turn affect adipokine functions that likely contribute to systemic metabolic derangements.
Fisetin Deters Cell Proliferation, Induces Apoptosis, Alleviates Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Human Cancer Cells, HeLa
Authors: Afroze Nazia , Pramodh Sreepoorna , Shafarin Jasmin , Bajbouj Khuloud , Hamad Mawieh , Sundaram Madhumitha Kedhari , Haque Shafiul , Hussain Arif
Published: February 2022

Background: Fisetin, a flavonol profusely found in vegetables and fruits, exhibited a myriad of properties in preclinical studies to impede cancer growth. Purpose: This study was proposed to delineate molecular mechanisms through analysing the modulated expression of various molecular targets in HeLa cells involved in proliferation, apoptosis and inflammation. Methods: MTT assay, flow cytometry, nuclear morphology, DNA fragmentation and Annexin–Pi were performed to evaluate the anti-cancer potential of fisetin. Furthermore, qPCR and proteome profiler were performed to analyse the expression of variety of gene related to cell death, cell proliferation, oxidative stress and inflammation and cancer pathways. Results: Fisetin demonstrated apoptotic inducing ability in HeLa cells, which was quite evident through nuclear morphology, DNA ladder pattern, decreased TMRE fluorescent intensity, cell cycle arrest at G2/M and increased early and late apoptosis. Furthermore, fisetin treatment modulated pro-apoptotic genes such as APAF1, Bad, Bax, Bid and BIK at both transcript and protein levels and anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-2, BIRC8, MCL-1, XIAP/BIRC4, Livin/BIRC7, clap-2/BIRC3, etc. at protein levels to mitigate cell proliferation and induce apoptosis. Interestingly, the aforementioned alterations consequently led to an elevated level of Caspase-3, Caspase-8 and Caspase-9, which was found to be consistent with the transcript and protein level expression. Moreover, fisetin downregulated the expression of AKT and MAPK pathways to avert proliferation and enhance apoptosis of cancer cells. Fisetin treatment also improves oxidative stress and alleviates inflammation by regulating JAK-STAT/NF-kB pathways. Conclusion: Together, these studies established that fisetin deters human cervical cancer cell proliferation, enhances apoptosis and ameliorates inflammation through regulating various signalling pathways that may be used as a therapeutic regime for better cancer management.
Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Mechanisms of Folate Accumulation in Maize Grains
Authors: Lian Tong , Wang Xuxia , Li Sha , Jiang Haiyang , Zhang Chunyi , Wang Huan , Jiang Ling
Published: February 2022

Previously, the complexity of folate accumulation in the early stages of maize kernel development has been reported, but the mechanisms of folate accumulation are unclear. Two maize inbred lines, DAN3130 and JI63, with different patterns of folate accumulation and different total folate contents in mature kernels were used to investigate the transcriptional regulation of folate metabolism during late stages of kernel formation by comparative transcriptome analysis. The folate accumulation during DAP 24 to mature kernels could be controlled by circumjacent pathways of folate biosynthesis, such as pyruvate metabolism, glutamate metabolism, and serine/glycine metabolism. In addition, the folate variation between these two inbred lines was related to those genes among folate metabolism, such as genes in the pteridine branch, para-aminobenzoate branch, serine/tetrahydrofolate (THF)/5-methyltetrahydrofolate cycle, and the conversion of THF monoglutamate to THF polyglutamate. The findings provided insight into folate accumulation mechanisms during maize kernel formation to promote folate biofortification.
RETRACTED: Application of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation over the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Pilot Study
Authors: Mano Tomoo
Published: February 2022

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is reportedly a potential tool to understand the neural network; however, the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying cognitive function change remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the cognitive function changes by rTMS over the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We evaluated the feasibility of rTMS application for mild cognitive dysfunction in patients with AD in an open-label trial (UMIN000027013). An rTMS session involved 15 trains at 120% resting motor threshold on each side (40 pulses/train at 10 Hz). Efficacy outcome measures were changes from baseline in cognitive function, assessed based on the AD Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale, Mini-Mental State Examination, Japanese version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-J), Behavioral and Psychological Symptom of Dementia, and Instrumental Activity of Daily Living scores. Sixteen patients with AD underwent five daily sessions of high-frequency rTMS over the bilateral DLPFC for 2 weeks. All participants completed the study; no major adverse effects were recorded. The MoCA-J score increased by 1.4 points (±0.15%) following 2 weeks of stimulation. At 1 month following rTMS cessation, all cognitive functional scores returned to the original state. Our findings suggest that the DLPFC plays an important role in the neural network in AD.
Effect of Microcystin-LR, Nodularin, Anatoxin-a, β-N-Methylamino-L-Alanine and Domoic Acid on Antioxidant Properties of Glutathione
Authors: Adamski Michal , Kaminski Ariel
Published: February 2022

Cyanobacteria produce a range of toxic secondary metabolites that affect many processes in human, animal and also plant cells. In recent years, some efforts have concentrated on deepening the understanding of their effect on living cells in the context of the disruption of antioxidant systems. Many results suggest that cyanotoxins interfere with glutathione (GSH) metabolism, which often leads to oxidative stress and, in many cases, cell death. Knowledge about the influence of cyanotoxins on enzymes involved in GSH synthesis or during its antioxidant action is relatively broad. However, to date, there is no information about the antioxidant properties of GSH after its direct interaction with cyanotoxins. In this paper, we investigated the effect of four cyanotoxins belonging to the groups of hepatotoxins (microcystin-LR and nodularin) or neurotoxins (anatoxin-a and β-N-methylamino-L-alanine) on the in vitro antioxidant properties of GSH. Moreover, the same study was performed for domoic acid (DA) produced by some diatoms. The obtained results showed that none of the studied compounds had an effect on GSH antioxidant potential. The results presented in this paper are, to the best of our knowledge, the first description of the kinetics of scavenging radicals by GSH reactions under the influence of these cyanotoxins and DA. This work provides new and valuable data that broadens the knowledge of the impact of cyanotoxins and DA on GSH metabolism and complements currently available information. Future studies should focus on the effects of the studied compounds on antioxidant systems in vivo.
Predicting Heart Cell Types by Using Transcriptome Profiles and a Machine Learning Method
Authors: Ding Shijian , Wang Deling , Zhou Xianchao , Chen Lei , Feng Kaiyan , Xu Xianling , Huang Tao , Li Zhandong , Cai Yudong
Published: February 2022

The heart is an essential organ in the human body. It contains various types of cells, such as cardiomyocytes, mesothelial cells, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts. The interactions between these cells determine the vital functions of the heart. Therefore, identifying the different cell types and revealing the expression rules in these cell types are crucial. In this study, multiple machine learning methods were used to analyze the heart single-cell profiles with 11 different heart cell types. The single-cell profiles were first analyzed via light gradient boosting machine method to evaluate the importance of gene features on the profiling dataset, and a ranking feature list was produced. This feature list was then brought into the incremental feature selection method to identify the best features and build the optimal classifiers. The results suggested that the best decision tree (DT) and random forest classification models achieved the highest weighted F1 scores of 0.957 and 0.981, respectively. The selected features, such as NPPA, LAMA2, DLC1, and the classification rules extracted from the optimal DT classifier played a crucial role in cardiac structure and function in recent research and enrichment analysis. In particular, some lncRNAs (LINC02019, NEAT1) were found to be quite important for the recognition of different cardiac cell types. In summary, these findings provide a solid academic foundation for the development of molecular diagnostics and biomarker discovery for cardiac diseases.
Oxidative Stress in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: Smirne Carlo , Croce Eleonora , Di Benedetto Davide , Cantaluppi Vincenzo , Comi Cristoforo , Sainaghi Pier Paolo , Minisini Rosalba , Grossini Elena , Pirisi Mario
Published: February 2022

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a challenging disease caused by multiple factors, which may partly explain why it still remains an orphan of adequate therapies. This review highlights the interaction between oxidative stress (OS) and disturbed lipid metabolism. Several reactive oxygen species generators, including those produced in the gastrointestinal tract, contribute to the lipotoxic hepatic (and extrahepatic) damage by fatty acids and a great variety of their biologically active metabolites in a “multiple parallel-hit model”. This leads to inflammation and fibrogenesis and contributes to NAFLD progression. The alterations of the oxidant/antioxidant balance affect also metabolism-related organelles, leading to lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and endoplasmic reticulum stress. This OS-induced damage is at least partially counteracted by the physiological antioxidant response. Therefore, modulation of this defense system emerges as an interesting target to prevent NAFLD development and progression. For instance, probiotics, prebiotics, diet, and fecal microbiota transplantation represent new therapeutic approaches targeting the gut microbiota dysbiosis. The OS and its counter-regulation are under the influence of individual genetic and epigenetic factors as well. In the near future, precision medicine taking into consideration genetic or environmental epigenetic risk factors, coupled with new OS biomarkers, will likely assist in noninvasive diagnosis and monitoring of NAFLD progression and in further personalizing treatments.
Special Issue of Materials focusing on “Finite Element Analysis and Models of Sustainable Manufacturing Processes”
Authors: Giardini Claudio , D’Urso Gianluca
Published: February 2022

We believe that the chosen topic is nowadays extremely current and of great interest [...]
Design and Analysis of a Pneumatic Spring Testing System for Precision Manufacturing
Authors: Sun Zhibo , Xu Shaofeng , Cheng Li , Wang Na , Wang Yixuan , Tian Minhui , Zhang Qingzhen
Published: February 2022

The vibration isolation effect of the pneumatic spring determines the precision of the manufacturing. In this paper, in order to detect the performance of a pneumatic spring, a multi frequency band testing system with different payload is designed and developed. First, the pneumatic spring structure is analyzed, and the stiffness of the pneumatic spring is obtained based on the ideal gas model, Kelvin–Voigt model, and finite element method. Then, to verify the reliability of the system, a dynamic model of the vibration platform is established. Through an analysis of the simulation using the Simulink environment, critical parameters are determined, and the effective conditions of the vibration isolation are obtained. Based on the results from the simulation and experiment, the transmission rate is around 20% under 40 Hz vibration, and 12% under 100 Hz vibration. The pneumatic spring proves to be effective under vibrations beyond 7 H. This achievement will become an important basis for future research concerning precision manufacturing.
Silsesquioxanes in the Cosmetics Industry—Applications and Perspectives
Authors: Olejnik Anna , Sztorch Bogna , Brząkalski Dariusz , Przekop Robert E.
Published: February 2022

The rising demand for innovative and sophisticated personal care products is a driving factor for manufacturers to obtain new formulations that will fulfill the customers’ preferences. In recent years, silsesquioxanes have attracted the attention of the cosmetics industry. These compounds have been proposed to be used in novel cosmetic formulations as emollient, dispersant, and viscosity modifiers. Therefore, this publication aims to review the main important aspects of polyhedral oligosilsesquioxanes as ingredients of personal care formulations, taking into consideration different types of products. The methods of obtaining these compounds were also presented. Additionally, the detailed analysis of patents dedicated to the application of silsesquioxanes in cosmetic formulations was also performed.
Features of the Preparation and Luminescence of Langmuir-Blodgett Films Based on the Tb(III) Complex with 3-Methyl-1-phenyl-4-stearoylpyrazol-5-one and 2,2′-Bipyridine
Authors: Devterova Julia , Kirillov Kirill , Nikolaev Anton , Sokolov Michail , Shul’gin Victor , Gusev Alexey , Panyushkin Victor , Linert Wolfgang
Published: February 2022

In this study, we investigated the effect of terbium ions (Tb3+) on the subphases of the limiting area of the molecule for the complex compound (CC) TbL3∙bipy (where HL is 3-methyl-1-phenyl-4-stearoylpyrazol-5-one and bipy is 2,2′-bipyridine). We examined the Langmuir monolayer and the change in the luminescence properties of TbL3∙bipy-based Langmuir-Blodgett films (LBFs). The analysis of the compression isotherms, infrared, and luminescence spectra of TbL3∙bipy LBFs was performed by varying the concentration of Tb3+ in the subphases. Our results demonstrate the partial dissociation of the CC at concentrations of C(Tb3+) < 5 × 10−4 M.
The Object Segmentation from the Microstructure of a FSW Dissimilar Weld
Authors: Wójcicka Anna , Walusiak Łukasz , Mroczka Krzysztof , Jaworek-Korjakowska Joanna Krystyna , Oprzędkiewicz Krzysztof , Wrobel Zygmunt
Published: February 2022

Friction stir welding (FSW) is an environmentally friendly, solid-state welding technique. In this research work, we analyze the microstructure of a new type of FSW weld applying a two- stage framework based on image processing algorithms containing a segmentation step and microstructure analysis of objects occurring in different layers. A dual-speed tool as used to prepare the tested weld. In this paper, we present the segmentation method for recognizing areas containing particles forming bands in the microstructure of a dissimilar weld of aluminum alloys made by FSW technology. A digital analysis was performed on the images obtained using an Olympus GX51 light microscope. The image analysis process consisted of basic segmentation methods in conjunction with domain knowledge and object detection located in different layers of a weld using morphological operations and point transformations. These methods proved to be effective in the analysis of the microstructure images corrupted by noise. The segmentation parts as well as single objects were separated enough to analyze the distribution on different layers of the specimen and the variability of shape and size of the underlying microstructures, which was not possible without computer vision support.
Acknowledgment to Reviewers of Materials in 2021
Authors:   Materials Editorial Office
Published: February 2022

Rigorous peer-reviews are the basis of high-quality academic publishing [...]
Novel Fabrication of Silver-Coated Copper Nanowires with Organic Compound Solution
Authors: Lee Suhyun , Wern Chien , Yi Sung
Published: February 2022

Copper nanowires and Cu-Ag nanowires have various potential applications, such as transparent conductive film, flexible electronics, and conductive filler. In this study, we developed a new green fabrication method for silver-coated copper nanowires using methylsulfonylmethane (DMSO2), which is an environmentally friendly chemical at the food-grade level, to replace toxic chemicals, including ammonia, in the silver coating process. Copper nanowires were synthesized under various reaction temperatures and concentrations of hydrazine (N2H4), ethylenediamine (EDA), sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and copper precursor. The reaction temperature higher than 70 °C caused the oxidation of copper products and evaporation of the sample solution. The optimal conditions to synthesize copper nanowires more than 18 µm in length and 25–45 nm in diameter were determined: 9 M of NaOH, 50 µL of EDA, 17 mM of CuCl2, 5.7 mM of N2H4, and 70 °C reaction temperature. Cu-Ag nanowires, which have about a 12 nm thick silver shell, were successfully fabricated at room temperature under 1 mM of silver nitrate (AgNO3) and 1 wt % of DMSO2. Synthesis conditions for copper and silver-coated copper nanowires have been optimized.
Study of Molybdenite Floatability: Effect of Clays and Seawater
Authors: Soto Catalina , Toro Norman , Gallegos Sandra , Gálvez Edelmira , Robledo-Cabrera Aurora , Jeldres Ricardo I. , Jeldres Matías , Robles Pedro , López-Valdivieso Alejandro
Published: February 2022

Current challenges in froth flotation are the presence of complex gangues and the use of low-quality waters, such as seawater. In this scenario, the recovery of molybdenum minerals is difficult, mainly due to the hydrophobic faces’ physicochemical changes. In the present study, the natural floatability of pure molybdenite was analyzed by using microflotation assays, and hydrophobicity was measured by performing contact-angle measurements. The impact of two clays, kaolin (non-swelling) and Na-montmorillonite (swelling), was studied. The behavior in freshwater and seawater at pH 8 was compared, considering the current condition of the Cu/Mo mining industries, which use seawater in their operations. The presence of clays lowered the natural floatability of molybdenite precisely because they adhere to the surface and reduce its contact angle. However, the intensity with which they cause this phenomenon depends on the type of water and clay. Kaolin strongly adheres to the valuable mineral in both freshwater and seawater. For its part, Na-montmorillonite does it with greater intensity in a saline medium, but in freshwater, a high concentration of phyllosilicate is required to reduce the hydrophobicity of molybdenite. The clays’ adherence was validated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis.
Synthesis of Hydroxyapatite/Iron Oxide Composite and Comparison of Selected Structural, Surface, and Electrochemical Properties
Authors: Biedrzycka Adrianna , Skwarek Ewa , Osypiuk Dariusz , Cristóvao Beata
Published: February 2022

The paper presents the synthesis of a hydroxyapatite/iron oxide composite utilizing the wet chemical method, as well as the comparison of several selected material characteristics. As follows from the literature reports, hydroxyapatite is a common mineral possessing numerous significant properties. Nowadays, there is an increase in the amount of research on possible modifications of this compound. The promising way to improve hydroxyapatite features is its combination with iron oxide. Particularly, there can be two forms that are distinguished, namely Fe3O4 and γ-Fe2O3. These oxides exhibit valuable properties, particularly magnetism. A combination of the mentioned materials leads to multifunctional composite formation with many potential applications, as follows from several studies. However, this area of science is not fully developed. There are still many aspects to be examined. The synthesized composite and its components were analyzed by employing the following methods. The X-ray diffraction analysis revealed formation of hydroxyapatite and Fe2O3 crystalline phases. Moreover, porosimetry proved a larger specific area for the composite sample in comparison with other materials. The results obtained using the SEM method confirmed an external layer of hydroxyapatite and spherical shapes of internal Fe2O3 particles. Furthermore, the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data presented characteristic peaks of Fe, Ca, P, and O atoms in all samples. The Fourier Transform Infrared spectra displayed all the specific vibrations typical of the analyzed materials. What is more, the Vibrating Sample Magnetometer method confirmed the paramagnetic nature of the samples. It could be concluded that the synthesized composite has intermediate properties between the components used in the formation process. The results suggest that these composites are superparamagnetic. This type of material architecture would be well suited for biomedical applications.
Thermal Stability and Decomposition Mechanism of Poly(alkylene succinate)s
Authors: Bikiaris Rizos D. , Ainali Nina Maria , Christodoulou Evi , Nikolaidis Nikolaos , Lambropoulou Dimitra A. , Papageorgiou George Z.
Published: February 2022

In the present study, a series of aliphatic polyesters based on succinic acid and several diols with 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 methylene groups, namely poly(ethylene succinate) (PESu), poly(butylene succinate) (PBSu), poly(hexylene succinate) (PHSu), poly(octylene succinate) (POSu), and poly(decylene succinate) (PDeSu), were prepared via a two-stage melt polycondensation method. All polyesters were semicrystalline materials with Tm ranging from 64.2 to 117.8 °C, while their Tg values were progressively decreasing by increasing the methylene group number in the used diols. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed that the synthesized poly(alkylene succinate)s present high thermal stability with maximum decomposition rates at temperatures 420–430 °C. The thermal decomposition mechanism was also evaluated with the aid of Pyrolysis–Gas chromatography/Mass spectrometry (Py–GC/MS), proving that all the studied polyesters decompose via a similar pathway, with degradation taking place mainly via β–hydrogen bond scission and less extensive with homolytic scission.
Cell Behavioral Changes after the Application of Magneto-Mechanical Activation to Normal and Cancer Cells
Authors: Tsiapla Aikaterini-Rafailia , Uzunova Veselina , Oreshkova Tsvetelina , Angelakeris Makis , Samaras Theodoros , Kalogirou Orestis , Tzoneva Rumiana
Published: February 2022

In vitro cell exposure to nanoparticles, depending on the applied concentration, can help in the development of theranostic tools to better detect and treat human diseases. Recent studies have attempted to understand and exploit the impact of magnetic field-actuated internalized magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) on the behavior of cancer cells. In this work, the viability rate of MNP’s-manipulated cancerous (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231) and non-cancerous (MCF-10A) cells was investigated in three different types of low-frequency magnetic fields: static, pulsed, and rotating field mode. In the non-cancerous cell line, the cell viability decreased mostly in cells with internalized MNPs and those treated with the pulsed field mode. In both cancer cell lines, the pulsed field mode was again the optimum magnetic field, which together with internalized MNPs caused a large decrease in cells’ viability (50–55% and 70% in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, respectively) while the static and rotating field modes maintained the viability at high levels. Finally, F-actin staining was used to observe the changes in the cytoskeleton and DAPI staining was performed to reveal the apoptotic alterations in cells’ nuclei before and after magneto-mechanical activation. Subsequently, reduced cell viability led to a loss of actin stress fibers and apoptotic nuclear changes in cancer cells subjected to MNPs triggered by a pulsed magnetic field.
Global Dynamics of a Vibro-Impact Energy Harvester
Authors: Cao Zhenbang , Ma Haotong , Yu Xuegang , Shi Jianliang , Yang Hu , Tan Yi , Ren Ge
Published: February 2022

In this paper, we consider a two-sided vibro-impact energy harvester described as a forced cylindrical capsule inclined at a horizontal angle, and the motion of the ball inside the capsule follows from the impacts with the capsule ends and gravity. Two distinct cases of dynamical behavior are investigated: the nondissipative and dissipative cases, where the dissipation is given by a restitution coefficient of impacts. We show that the dynamics of the system are described by the use of a 2D implicit map written in terms of the variables’ energy and time when the ball leaves the moving capsule ends. More precisely, in the nondissipative case, we analytically show that this map is area-preserving and the existence of invariant curves for some rotation number with Markoff constant type is proved according to Moser’s twist theorem in high energy. The existence of invariant curves implies that the kinetic energy of the ball is always bounded, and hence, the structure of system is not destroyed by the impacts of the ball. Furthermore, by numerical analysis we also show that the dynamical behavior of this system is regular, mainly containing periodic points, invariant curves and Aubry–Mather sets. After introducing dissipation, the dissipation destroys the regular dynamical behavior of the nondissipative case, and a periodic point with low energy is generated.
Orebody Modeling Method Based on the Normal Estimation of Cross-Contour Polylines
Authors: Wu Zhaohao , Zhong Deyun , Li Zhaopeng , Wang Liguan , Bi Lin
Published: February 2022

The normal estimation of cross-contour polylines largely determines the implicit orebody modeling result. However, traditional methods cannot estimate normals effectively due to the complex topological adjacency relationship of the cross-contour polylines manually interpreted in the process of exploration and production. In this work, we present an orebody implicit modeling method based on the normal estimation of cross-contour polylines. The improved method consists of three stages: (1) estimating the normals of cross-contour polylines by using the least square plane fitting method based on principal component analysis; (2) reorienting the normal directions by using the method based on the normal propagation; (3) using an implicit function to construct an orebody model. The innovation of this method is that it can automatically estimate the normals of the cross-contour polylines and reorient normal directions without manual intervention. Experimental results show that the proposed method has the advantages of a small amount of calculation, high efficiency and strong reliability. Moreover, this normal estimation method is useful to improve the automation of implicit orebody modeling.