bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Discovery and Proof-of-Concept Study of Nuclease Activity as a Novel Biomarker for Breast Cancer Tumors
Authors: Hernandez Luiza I. , Araúzo-Bravo Marcos J. , Gerovska Daniela , Solaun Ricardo Rezola , Machado Isabel , Balian Alien , Botero Juliana , Jiménez Tania , Zuriarrain Bergara Olaia , Larburu Gurruchaga Lide , Urruticoechea Ander , Hernandez Frank J.
Published: January 2021

Breast cancer is one of the most common pathologies diagnosed in the clinical practice. Despite major advancements in diagnostic approaches, there is no widely accepted biomarker in the clinical practice that can diagnose breast malignancy. Confirmatory diagnosis still relies on the pathological assessment of tissue biopsies by expert pathologists. Thus, there is an unmet need for new types of biomarkers and novel platform technologies that can be easily and robustly integrated into the clinic and that can assist pathologists. Herein, we show that nuclease activity associated to malignant tumors can be used as a novel biomarker in breast cancer, which can be detected via specific degradation of nucleic acid probes. In this study we have identified a set of three chemically modified nucleic acid probes that can diagnose malignancy in biopsy samples with high accuracy (89%), sensitivity (82%) and specificity (94%). This work represents a breakthrough for the potential clinical use of nuclease activity as biomarker, which can be detected via nucleic acids probes, for the clinical diagnosis of malignancy in breast tissue biopsies. This platform technology could be readily implemented into the clinic as adjunct to histopathological diagnostic.
The Multiple Potential Biomarkers for Predicting Immunotherapy Response—Finding the Needle in the Haystack
Authors: Adam Tamiem , Becker Therese M. , Chua Wei , Bray Victoria , Roberts Tara L.
Published: January 2021

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are being increasingly utilised in a variety of advanced malignancies. Despite promising outcomes in certain patients, the majority will not derive benefit and are at risk of potentially serious immune-related adverse events (irAEs). The development of predictive biomarkers is therefore critical to personalise treatments and improve outcomes. A number of biomarkers have shown promising results, including from tumour (programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1), tumour mutational burden (TMB), stimulator of interferon genes (STING) and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC)), from blood (peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), exosomes, cytokines and metal chelators) and finally the microbiome.
Complement as a Therapeutic Target in Systemic Autoimmune Diseases
Authors: Galindo-Izquierdo María , Pablos Alvarez José Luis
Published: January 2021

The complement system (CS) includes more than 50 proteins and its main function is to recognize and protect against foreign or damaged molecular components. Other homeostatic functions of CS are the elimination of apoptotic debris, neurological development, and the control of adaptive immune responses. Pathological activation plays prominent roles in the pathogenesis of most autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, antiphospholipid syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, dermatomyositis, and ANCA-associated vasculitis. In this review, we will review the main rheumatologic autoimmune processes in which complement plays a pathogenic role and its potential relevance as a therapeutic target.
Enhancing Thermally Modified Wood Stability against Discoloration
Authors: Cirule Dace , Sansonetti Errj , Andersone Ingeborga , Kuka Edgars , Andersons Bruno
Published: January 2021

Thermal modification of wood has gained its niche in the production of materials that are mainly used for outdoor applications, where the stability of aesthetic appearances is very important. In the present research, spectral sensitivity to discoloration of thermally modified (TM) aspen wood was assessed and, based on these results, the possibility to delay discoloration due to weathering by non-film forming coating containing transparent iron oxides in the formulation was studied. The effect of including organic light stabilizers (UVA and HALS) in coatings as well as pretreatment with lignin stabilizer (HALS) was evaluated. Artificial and outdoor weathering was used for testing the efficiency of different coating formulations on TM wood discoloration. For color measurements and discoloration assessment, the CIELAB color model was used. Significant differences between the spectral sensitivity of unmodified and TM wood was observed by implying that different strategies could be effective for their photostabilization. From the studied concepts, the inclusion of the transparent red iron oxide into the base formulation of the non-film forming coating was found to be the most effective approach for enhancing TM wood photostability against discoloration due to weathering.
Curing of Functionalized Superhydrophobic Inorganic/Epoxy Nanocomposite and Application as Coatings for Steel
Authors: Wahby Mohamed H. , Atta Ayman M. , Moustafa Yasser M. , Ezzat Abdelrahman O. , Hashem Ahmed I.
Published: January 2021

Superhydrophobic epoxy nanocomposites coatings with superior mechanical and adhesion strength are targeted to increase epoxy coating performance and to protect steel corrosion in aggressive environment. The present work prepared hydrophobic organic modified inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) based on magnetite, titanium dioxide and silver capped with epoxide oleic, linoleic and linolenic fatty acids. Their chemical structures, thermal stability, crystalline lattice structure, morphology and particles sizes distribution were determined using different tools. The curing exothermic reactions and thermal mechanical properties of the cured commercial epoxy with polyamine hardener were evaluated in the presence of the modified NPs to investigate their effect on the curing mechanism and crosslinking densities of the cured epoxy networks. The adhesion strength, abrasion resistance, seawater contact angles and seawater salt spray resistances of the cured epoxy coatings were evaluated on the steel surfaces. The obtained results confirm that the increasing weight contents of the modified NPs embedded into epoxy networks via chemical linking affect the adhesion, superhydrophobicity and anticorrosion performances of the cured epoxy coatings on the steel surfaces.
Characterization of Chitosan Films Incorporated with Different Substances of Konjac Glucomannan, Cassava Starch, Maltodextrin and Gelatin, and Application in Mongolian Cheese Packaging
Authors: Ma Sijun , Zheng Yuanrong , Zhou Ran , Ma Ming
Published: January 2021

Four kinds of edible composite films based on chitosan combined with additional substances (konjac glucomannan, cassava starch, maltodextrin and gelatin) and the addition of lysozyme were prepared and used as packaging materials for Mongolian cheese. The prepared composite films were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The physicochemical properties of all chitosan composite films, including thickness, viscosity, opacity, color, moisture content, water vapor permeability, tensile strength and elongation at break, were measured. The results show that Konjac glucomannan–chitosan composite film presented the strongest mechanical property and highest transparency. The cassava starch–chitosan composite film presented the highest water barrier property. The study on the storage characteristics of Mongolian cheese was evaluated at 4 °C. The results show that the cheese packaging by cassava starch–chitosan composite film presented better treatment performance in maintaining the quality, reducing weight loss and delayering microbial growth.
An Empirical Review of Automated Machine Learning
Authors: Vaccaro Lorenzo , Sansonetti Giuseppe , Micarelli Alessandro
Published: January 2021

In recent years, Automated Machine Learning (AutoML) has become increasingly important in Computer Science due to the valuable potential it offers. This is testified by the high number of works published in the academic field and the significant efforts made in the industrial sector. However, some problems still need to be resolved. In this paper, we review some Machine Learning (ML) models and methods proposed in the literature to analyze their strengths and weaknesses. Then, we propose their use—alone or in combination with other approaches—to provide possible valid AutoML solutions. We analyze those solutions from a theoretical point of view and evaluate them empirically on three Atari games from the Arcade Learning Environment. Our goal is to identify what, we believe, could be some promising ways to create truly effective AutoML frameworks, therefore able to replace the human expert as much as possible, thereby making easier the process of applying ML approaches to typical problems of specific domains. We hope that the findings of our study will provide useful insights for future research work in AutoML.
Single-Longitudinal-Mode Laser at 1123 nm Based on a Twisted-Mode Cavity
Authors: Liu Yang , Zhang Sasa , Cong Zhenhua , Men Shaojie , Guan Chen , Xie Yongyao , Liu Zhaojun
Published: January 2021

A single-longitudinal-mode (SLM) Neodymiun-doped Yttrium Aluminium Garnet (Nd:YAG) laser at 1123 nm was first demonstrated with a twisted-mode (TM) cavity. By eliminating the spatial hole burning phenomenon, a stable SLM 1123 nm laser output was obtained. An efficient TM cavity was designed based on the Brewster plate with high reflection under s-polarization radiation. At an incident pump power of 7.65 W, the maximum output power of 689 mW was obtained. The corresponding optical conversion efficiency was about 9%. The center wavelength was 1122.58 nm and the line-width was <140 MHz.
Aircraft Engine Run-to-Failure Dataset under Real Flight Conditions for Prognostics and Diagnostics
Authors: Arias Chao Manuel , Kulkarni Chetan , Goebel Kai , Fink Olga
Published: January 2021

A key enabler of intelligent maintenance systems is the ability to predict the remaining useful lifetime (RUL) of its components, i.e., prognostics. The development of data-driven prognostics models requires datasets with run-to-failure trajectories. However, large representative run-to-failure datasets are often unavailable in real applications because failures are rare in many safety-critical systems. To foster the development of prognostics methods, we develop a new realistic dataset of run-to-failure trajectories for a fleet of aircraft engines under real flight conditions. The dataset was generated with the Commercial Modular Aero-Propulsion System Simulation (CMAPSS) model developed at NASA. The damage propagation modelling used in this dataset builds on the modelling strategy from previous work and incorporates two new levels of fidelity. First, it considers real flight conditions as recorded on board of a commercial jet. Second, it extends the degradation modelling by relating the degradation process to its operation history. This dataset also provides the health, respectively, fault class. Therefore, besides its applicability to prognostics problems, the dataset can be used for fault diagnostics.
A Pound of Flesh: What Cachexia Is and What It Is Not
Authors: Berardi Emanuele , Madaro Luca , Lozanoska-Ochser Biliana , Adamo Sergio , Thorrez Lieven , Bouche Marina , Coletti Dario
Published: January 2021

Body weight loss, mostly due to the wasting of skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, is the hallmark of the so-called cachexia syndrome. Cachexia is associated with several acute and chronic disease states such as cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart and kidney failure, and acquired and autoimmune diseases and also pharmacological treatments such as chemotherapy. The clinical relevance of cachexia and its impact on patients’ quality of life has been neglected for decades. Only recently did the international community agree upon a definition of the term cachexia, and we are still awaiting the standardization of markers and tests for the diagnosis and staging of cancer-related cachexia. In this review, we discuss cachexia, considering the evolving use of the term for diagnostic purposes and the implications it has for clinical biomarkers, to provide a comprehensive overview of its biology and clinical management. Advances and tools developed so far for the in vitro testing of cachexia and drug screening will be described. We will also evaluate the nomenclature of different forms of muscle wasting and degeneration and discuss features that distinguish cachexia from other forms of muscle wasting in the context of different conditions.
Neural Networks for Estimating Speculative Attacks Models
Authors: Alaminos David , Aguilar-Vijande Fernando , Sánchez-Serrano José Ramón
Published: January 2021

Currency crises have been analyzed and modeled over the last few decades. These currency crises develop mainly due to a balance of payments crisis, and in many cases, these crises lead to speculative attacks against the price of the currency. Despite the popularity of these models, they are currently shown as models with low estimation precision. In the present study, estimates are made with first- and second-generation speculative attack models using neural network methods. The results conclude that the Quantum-Inspired Neural Network and Deep Neural Decision Trees methodologies are shown to be the most accurate, with results around 90% accuracy. These results exceed the estimates made with Ordinary Least Squares, the usual estimation method for speculative attack models. In addition, the time required for the estimation is less for neural network methods than for Ordinary Least Squares. These results can be of great importance for public and financial institutions when anticipating speculative pressures on currencies that are in price crisis in the markets.
A Debt Market Model for the BRICS
Authors: Zharikov Mikhail
Published: January 2021

The author introduces an approach for a consensual economic policy for a group of rapidly developing countries as a response to contemporary global economic challenges. This article reconsiders the problems of international economic integration in the period of deglobalization. The author puts forward the hypothetical model of a debt market of BRICS-bonds. The paper discusses approaches to servicing government debt and budget deficits in the BRICS based on the shared framework of financial and economic institutions. The author formulates the possibilities of a shared economic policy in the BRICS that could help overcome the consequences of the crisis caused by COVID-19. The author proposes a unique budget deficit optimization approach for the BRICS. The article evaluates the options for automatic and state-run budget deficit services and identifies the optimal level of taxation and the average weighted tax rate for the BRICS. The author investigates the potential of the BRICS to use financial resources of the shared debt market based on the gradualist approach for a consensual economic policy.
Fully Integrated High Gain S-Band Triangular Slot Antenna for CubeSat Communications
Authors: El Bakkali Mohamed , El Bekkali Moulhime , Gaba Gurjot Singh , Guerrero Josep M. , Kansal Lavish , Masud Mehedi
Published: January 2021

Among other CubeSat subsystems, Antenna is one of the most important CubeSat components as its design determines all the telecommunication subsystems’ performances. This paper presents a coplanar wave-guide (CPW)-fed equilateral triangular slot antenna constructed and analyzed for CubeSat communications at S-band. The proposed antenna alone presents high gain and ultra-wide band while its radiation pattern is bidirectional at an unlicensed frequency of 2450 MHz. The objective is to use the CubeSat chassis as a reflector for reducing the back-lobe radiation and hence minimizing interferences with electronic devices inside the CubeSat. This leads to a high gain of 8.20 dBi and a unidirectional radiation pattern at an industrial, scientific and mdical (ISM) band operating frequency of 2450 MHz. In addition to that, the presented antenna is low-profile and exhibits high return loss, ultra-wide impedance bandwidth, and good impedance matching at 2450 MHz.
A High Conversion Gain Envelope Detector with Wide Input Range for Simultaneous Wireless Information and Power Transfer System
Authors: Li Yan , Liu Xin , Wang Xiaosong , Su Qian , Zhao Shuaipeng , Wang Zhiqiang , Liu Yu
Published: January 2021

Wireless sensors networks (WSN) have been gradually facilitating the pervasive connectivity of wireless sensor nodes. A greater number of wireless sensors have been used in different aspects of our life. However, limited device battery life restricts the applications of large-scale WSN. This paper presents a batteryless envelope detector with radio frequency energy harvesting (RFEH) for wireless sensor nodes, which enables simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT). The envelope detector is designed for small modulation index AM signals with large amplitude variations. Therefore, the envelope detector is supposed to have wide input range while achieving a high conversion gain. We proposed an adaptive biasing technique in order to extend the input range of envelope detector. The input differential pair is adaptively biased through a feedback loop to overcome the variation of bias point when the amplitude of input signal changes. The cross coupled rectifier and DC-DC boost converter with maximum power point tracking (MPPT) are presented against power conversion efficiency (PCE) degradation of RF rectifier with the input power varying. The adaptive biased envelope detector is theoretically analyzed by square law MOSFET model. Designed with 0.18 μm complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) standard process, the power consumption of proposed envelope detector is 9 μW. Simulated with a 915 MHz AM input signal with 2 Mbps data rate and 0.05 modulation index, the proposed envelope detector achieves 20.37 dB maximum conversion gain when the amplitude of input signal is 0.5 V, and the PCE of energy harvesting circuits achieves 55.2% when input power is –12.5 dBm.
A Current Monitor System in High-Voltage Applications in a Range from Picoamps to Microamps
Authors: Soto-Camacho Rabí , Vergara-Limon Sergio , Vargas-Treviño María Aurora Diozcora , Paic Guy , López-Gómez Jesús , Vargas-Treviño Marciano , Gutierrez-Gutierrez Jaime , Martínez-Solis Fermín , Patiño-Salazar Miguel Enrique , Velázquez-Aguilar Victor Manuel
Published: January 2021

In this article, we present a system to measure current in the range of 0 to 10 μA with high-voltage isolation up to 5 kV. This current monitor consists of three ammeters connected in series, to improve the resolution in the measurement. The design features several innovative elements such as using low voltage to provide power to the devices to measure the current and digitize it with a sampling frequency of 1 KHz, it is generated based on a DC-DC converter that produces three voltages, +12 V, −12 V, and 5 V, from a conventional 10 V source. The three voltages are referenced to the same floating ground. The DC-DC converter has a high voltage insulation up to 5 kV and four optocouplers with an insulation up to 20 kV are used to read the digitized data. The introduction of a DC-DC converter contributed to reduce the noise level in the analog part of the circuit which has been resolved implementing shields inside the board. In particle physics, several systems are used to detect particles in high-energy physics experiments such as Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM), micromegas, etc. GEMs suffer small deteriorations due to discharges in constant operation and require monitoring the current consumption at high frequency (1 kHz). In this work, we present the design and operation of a 0 to 10 μA auto scale ammeter. The results obtained by monitoring the current in a 10 × 10 cm2 GEM are shown.
New Topsoil Sampler for the Assessment and Monitoring of Forest Soil Contamination
Authors: Kabala Cezary , Galka Bernard , Yurkouski Siarhei
Published: January 2021

The forest litter and underlying mineral topsoil are typically sampled and analyzed separately although they are in a dynamic balance, which ensures macro- and microelement cycling in the forest ecosystem, including the flux and accumulation of xenobiotics in the contaminated sites. Although the national legal regulations specify single limits of element concentration for the entire “topsoil” layer, irrespectively of the kind of materials resting at the earth surface down to the specified depth, the direct analysis of bicomponent forest topsoil (litter + mineral topsoil) was problematic because of the lack of a suitable sampler. The paper presents a comparative analysis of Cu, Pb, and Zn concentrations in the forest topsoil layers (0–25 cm), sampled using a new construction sampler invented for a joint collection of the litter layer and underlying mineral layer (to the specified depth). Litter samples (using a steel frame), mineral topsoil samples (0–25 cm, using gouge auger after litter removal), and mixed topsoil samples (0–25 cm, including litter) were collected in 16 replicates from four variably contaminated plots (copper mining and smelting area) afforested with poplar or pine. Pseudo-total concentration of Cu, Pb, and Zn was analyzed after sample digestion in aqua regia. The concentration of elements in the samples consisting of jointly collected litter and mineral layer was noticeably higher than in the samples consisting of the mineral topsoil only, which confirmed the effective inclusion of the litter. The concentrations of trace elements measured in the samples of jointly collected litter and mineral topsoil did not differ (NIR Fisher test at p < 0.05) from the concentrations calculated using the data for litter and mineral soil separately collected and analyzed, which confirmed the usefulness of the new sampler for reliable collection of the forest topsoil samples without skipping any material which may influence the results of soil contamination assessment and risk assessment.
Onset of Inertial Magnetoconvection in Rotating Fluid Spheres
Authors: Simitev Radostin D. , Busse Friedrich H.
Published: January 2021

The onset of convection in the form of magneto-inertial waves in a rotating fluid sphere permeated by a constant axial electric current is studied in this paper. Thermo-inertial convection is a distinctive flow regime on the border between rotating thermal convection and wave propagation. It occurs in astrophysical and geophysical contexts where self-sustained or external magnetic fields are commonly present. To investigate the onset of motion, a perturbation method is used here with an inviscid balance in the leading order and a buoyancy force acting against weak viscous dissipation in the next order of approximation. Analytical evaluation of constituent integral quantities is enabled by applying a Green’s function method for the exact solution of the heat equation following our earlier non-magnetic analysis. Results for the case of thermally infinitely conducting boundaries and for the case of nearly thermally insulating boundaries are obtained. In both cases, explicit expressions for the dependence of the Rayleigh number on the azimuthal wavenumber are derived in the limit of high thermal diffusivity. It is found that an imposed azimuthal magnetic field exerts a stabilizing influence on the onset of inertial convection and as a consequence magneto-inertial convection with azimuthal wave number of unity is generally preferred.
Comparative NMR Metabolomics Profiling between Mexican Ancestral & Artisanal Mezcals and Industrialized Wines to Discriminate Geographical Origins, Agave Species or Grape Varieties and Manufacturing Processes as a Function of Their Quality Attributes
Authors: López-Aguilar Rosa , Zuleta-Prada Holber , Hernández-Montes Arturo , Herbert-Pucheta José Enrique
Published: January 2021

The oenological industry has benefited from the use of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy in combination with Multivariate Statistical Analysis (MSA) as a foodomics tool for retrieving discriminant features related to geographical origins, grape varieties, and further quality controls. Said omics methods have gained such attention that Intergovernmental Organizations and Control Agencies are currently recommending their massive use amongst countries as quality compliances for tracking standard and degradation parameters, fermentation products, polyphenols, amino acids, geographical origins, appellations d’origine contrôlée and type of monovarietal strains in wines. This study presents, for the first time, a 1H-NMR/MSA profiling of industrial Mexican wines, finding excellent statistical features to discriminate between oenological regions and grape varieties with supervised Orthogonal Projections to Latent Structures Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA). In a comparative way, it is applied with the 1H-NMR/OPLS-DA workflow for the first time in ancestral and artisanal Mexican mezcals with promising results to discriminate between regions, agave species and manufacturing processes. The central aim of this comparative study is to extrapolate the know-how of wine-omics into the non-professionalized mezcal industry for establishing the NMR acquisition, preprocessing and statistical analysis basis to implement novel, non-invasive and highly reproducible regional, agave species and manufacturing-quality controls.
Social Pressure in Networks Induces Public Good Provision
Authors: Jimenez-Gomez David
Published: January 2021

I develop a dynamic model with forward looking agents, and show that social pressure is effective in generating provision in a public good game: after a small group of agents start contributing to the public good, other agents decide to contribute as well due to a fear of being punished, and this generates contagion in the network. In contrast to earlier models in the literature, contagion happens fast, as part of the best response of fully rational individuals. The network topology has implications for whether contagion starts and the extent to which it spreads. I find conditions under which an agent decides to be the first to contribute in order to generate contagion in the network, as well as conditions for contribution due to a self-fulfilling fear of social pressure.
Targeted Sequencing of Mitochondrial Genes Reveals Signatures of Molecular Adaptation in a Nearly Panmictic Small Pelagic Fish Species
Authors: Baltazar-Soares Miguel , de Araújo Lima André Ricardo , Silva Gonçalo
Published: January 2021

Ongoing climatic changes, with predictable impacts on marine environmental conditions, are expected to trigger organismal responses. Recent evidence shows that, in some marine species, variation in mitochondrial genes involved in the aerobic conversion of oxygen into ATP at the cellular level correlate with gradients of sea surface temperature and gradients of dissolved oxygen. Here, we investigated the adaptive potential of the European sardine Sardina pilchardus populations offshore the Iberian Peninsula. We performed a seascape genetics approach that consisted of the high throughput sequencing of mitochondria’s ATP6, COI, CYTB and ND5 and five microsatellite loci on 96 individuals coupled with environmental information on sea surface temperature and dissolved oxygen across five sampling locations. Results show that, despite sardines forming a nearly panmictic population around Iberian Peninsula, haplotype frequency distribution can be explained by gradients of minimum sea surface temperature and dissolved oxygen. We further identified that the frequencies of the most common CYTB and ATP6 haplotypes negatively correlate with minimum sea surface temperature across the sampled area, suggestive of a signature of selection. With signatures of selection superimposed on highly connected populations, sardines may be able to follow environmental optima and shift their distribution northwards as a response to the increasing sea surface temperatures.
Contribution of Mitochondrial DNA Heteroplasmy to the Congenital Cardiac and Palatal Phenotypic Variability in Maternally Transmitted 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome
Authors: Rebolledo-Jaramillo Boris , Obregon Maria Gabriela , Huckstadt Victoria , Gomez Abel , Repetto Gabriela M.
Published: January 2021

Congenital heart disease (CHD) and palatal anomalies (PA), are among the most common characteristics of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS), but they show incomplete penetrance, suggesting the presence of additional factors. The 22q11.2 deleted region contains nuclear encoded mitochondrial genes, and since mitochondrial function is critical during development, we hypothesized that changes in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) could be involved in the intrafamilial variability of CHD and PA in cases of maternally inherited 22q11.2DS. To investigate this, we studied the transmission of heteroplasmic mtDNA alleles in seventeen phenotypically concordant and discordant mother-offspring 22q11.2DS pairs. We sequenced their mtDNA and identified 26 heteroplasmic variants at >1% frequency, representing 18 transmissions. The median allele frequency change between a mother and her child was twice as much, with a wider distribution range, in PA discordant pairs, p-value = 0.039 (permutation test, 11 concordant vs. 7 discordant variants), but not in CHD discordant pairs, p-value = 0.441 (9 vs. 9). Only the variant m.9507T>C was considered to be pathogenic, but it was unrelated to the structural phenotypes. Our study is novel, yet our results are not consistent with mtDNA variation contributing to PA or CHD in 22q11.2DS. Larger cohorts and additional factors should be considered moving forward.
Geriatric Care Models
Authors: Powers James S.
Published: January 2021

This Special Issue on geriatric care models features 18 papers highlighting the evolving nature of healthcare delivery and the leadership and quality enhancement research provided by geriatric care models [...]
Review of Current Spinal Robotic Orthoses
Authors: Mak Siu Kei David , Accoto Dino
Published: January 2021

Osteoporotic spine fractures (OSF) are common sequelae of osteoporosis. OSF are directly correlated with increasing age and incidence of osteoporosis. OSF are treated conservatively or surgically. Associated acute pain, chronic disabilities, and progressive deformities are well documented. Conservative measures include a combination of initial bed rest, analgesia, early physiotherapy, and a spinal brace (orthosis), with the aim for early rehabilitation to prevent complications of immobile state. Spinal bracing is commonly used for symptomatic management of OSF. While traditional spinal braces aim to maintain the neutral spinal alignment and reduce the axial loading on the fractured vertebrae, they are well known for complications including discomfort with reduced compliance, atrophy of paraspinal muscles, and restriction of chest expansion leading to chest infections. Exoskeletons have been developed to passively assist and actively augment human movements with different types of actuators. Flexible, versatile spinal exoskeletons are designed to better support the spine. As new technologies enable the development of motorized wearable exoskeletons, several types have been introduced into the medical field application. We have provided a thorough review of the current spinal robotic technologies in this paper. The shortcomings in the current spinal exoskeletons were identified. Their limitations on the use for patients with OSF with potential improvement strategies were discussed. With our current knowledge of spinal orthosis for conservatively managed OSF, a semi-rigid backpack style thoracolumbar spinal robotic orthosis will reduce spinal bone stress and improve back muscle support. This will lead to back pain reduction, improved posture, and overall mobility. Early mobilization is an important part of management of patients with OSF as it reduces the chance of developing complications related to their immobile state for patients with OSF, which will be helpful for their recovery.
Sensitivity Assessment of Spatial Resolution Difference in DEM for Soil Erosion Estimation Based on UAV Observations: An Experiment on Agriculture Terraces in the Middle Hill of Nepal
Authors: Chidi Chhabi Lal , Zhao Wei , Chaudhary Suresh , Xiong Donghong , Wu Yanhong
Published: January 2021

Soil erosion in the agricultural area of a hill slope is a fundamental issue for crop productivity and environmental sustainability. Building terrace is a very popular way to control soil erosion, and accurate assessment of the soil erosion rate is important for sustainable agriculture and environmental management. Currently, many soil erosion estimations are mainly based on the freely available medium or coarse resolution digital elevation model (DEM) data that neglect micro topographic modification of the agriculture terraces. The development of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology enables the development of high-resolution (centimeter level) DEM to present accurate topographic features. To demonstrate the sensitivity of soil erosion estimates to DEM resolution at this high-resolution level, this study tries to evaluate soil erosion estimation in the Middle Hill agriculture terraces in Nepal based on UAV derived high-resolution (5 × 5 cm) DEM data and make a comparative study for the estimates by using the DEM data aggregated into different spatial resolutions (5 × 5 cm to 10 × 10 m). Firstly, slope gradient, slope length, and topographic factors were calculated at different resolutions. Then, the revised universal soil loss estimation (RUSLE) model was applied to estimate soil erosion rates with the derived LS factor at different resolutions. The results indicated that there was higher change rate in slope gradient, slope length, LS factor, and soil erosion rate when using DEM data with resolution from 5 × 5 cm to 2 × 2 m than using coarser DEM data. A power trend line was effectively used to present the relationship between soil erosion rate and DEM resolution. The findings indicated that soil erosion estimates are highly sensitive to DEM resolution (from 5 × 5 cm to 2 × 2 m), and the changes become relatively stable from 2 × 2 m. The use of DEM data with pixel size larger than 2 × 2 m cannot detect the micro topography. With the insights about the influencing mechanism of DEM resolution on soil erosion estimates, this study provides important suggestions for appropriate DEM data selection that should be investigated first for accurate soil erosion estimation.
Geospatial Open Data Usage and Metadata Quality
Authors: Quarati Alfonso , De Martino Monica , Rosim Sergio
Published: January 2021

The Open Government Data portals (OGD), thanks to the presence of thousands of geo-referenced datasets, containing spatial information are of extreme interest for any analysis or process relating to the territory. For this to happen, users must be enabled to access these datasets and reuse them. An element often considered as hindering the full dissemination of OGD data is the quality of their metadata. Starting from an experimental investigation conducted on over 160,000 geospatial datasets belonging to six national and international OGD portals, this work has as its first objective to provide an overview of the usage of these portals measured in terms of datasets views and downloads. Furthermore, to assess the possible influence of the quality of the metadata on the use of geospatial datasets, an assessment of the metadata for each dataset was carried out, and the correlation between these two variables was measured. The results obtained showed a significant underutilization of geospatial datasets and a generally poor quality of their metadata. In addition, a weak correlation was found between the use and quality of the metadata, not such as to assert with certainty that the latter is a determining factor of the former.
Perinatal Infection: A Major Contributor to Efficacy of Cooling in Newborns Following Birth Asphyxia
Authors: Danladi Jibrin , Sabir Hemmen
Published: January 2021

Neonatal encephalopathy (NE) is a global burden, as more than 90% of NE occurs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Perinatal infection seems to limit the neuroprotective efficacy of therapeutic hypothermia. Efforts made to use therapeutic hypothermia in LMICs treating NE has led to increased neonatal mortality rates. The heat shock and cold shock protein responses are essential for survival against a wide range of stressors during which organisms raise their core body temperature and temporarily subject themselves to thermal and cold stress in the face of infection. The characteristic increase and decrease in core body temperature activates and utilizes elements of the heat shock and cold shock response pathways to modify cytokine and chemokine gene expression, cellular signaling, and immune cell mobilization to sites of inflammation, infection, and injury. Hypothermia stimulates microglia to secret cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRP), which triggers NF-κB, controlling multiple inflammatory pathways, including nod-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasomes and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) signaling. Brain responses through changes in heat shock protein and cold shock protein transcription and gene-expression following fever range and hyperthermia may be new promising potential therapeutic targets.
FOLFOX Therapy Induces Feedback Upregulation of CD44v6 through YB-1 to Maintain Stemness in Colon Initiating Cells
Authors: Ghatak Shibnath , Hascall Vincent C. , Markwald Roger R. , Misra Suniti
Published: January 2021

Cancer initiating cells (CICs) drive tumor formation and drug-resistance, but how they develop drug-resistance characteristics is not well understood. In this study, we demonstrate that chemotherapeutic agent FOLFOX, commonly used for drug-resistant/metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment, induces overexpression of CD44v6, MDR1, and oncogenic transcription/translation factor Y-box-binding protein-1 (YB-1). Our study revealed that CD44v6, a receptor for hyaluronan, increased the YB-1 expression through PGE2/EP1-mTOR pathway. Deleting CD44v6, and YB-1 by the CRISPR/Cas9 system attenuates the in vitro and in vivo tumor growth of CICs from FOLFOX resistant cells. The results of DNA:CD44v6 immunoprecipitated complexes by ChIP (chromatin-immunoprecipitation) assay showed that CD44v6 maintained the stemness traits by promoting several antiapoptotic and stemness genes, including cyclin-D1,BCL2,FZD1,GINS-1, and MMP9. Further, computer-based analysis of the clones obtained from the DNA:CD44v6 complex revealed the presence of various consensus binding sites for core stemness-associated transcription factors “CTOS” (c-Myc, TWIST1, OCT4, and SOX2). Simultaneous expressions of CD44v6 and CTOS in CD44v6 knockout CICs reverted differentiated CD44v6-knockout CICs into CICs. Finally, this study for the first time describes a positive feedback loop that couples YB-1 induction and CD44 alternative splicing to sustain the MDR1 and CD44v6 expressions, and CD44v6 is required for the reversion of differentiated tumor cells into CICs.
Identification and Functional Analysis of Apoptotic Protease Activating Factor-1 (Apaf-1) from Spodoptera litura
Authors: Ma Haihao , Yan Xiumei , Yan Lin , Zhao Jingyan , Song Jiping , Peng Rong , Yang Yongbo , Peng Jianxin , Liu Kaiyu
Published: January 2021

Apoptotic protease activating factor-1 (Apaf-1) is an adaptor molecule, essential for activating initiator caspase and downstream effector caspases, which directly cause apoptosis. In fruit flies, nematodes, and mammals, Apaf-1 has been extensively studied. However, the structure and function of Apaf-1 in Lepidoptera remain unclear. This study identified a novel Apaf-1 from Spodoptera litura, named Sl-Apaf-1. Sl-Apaf-1 contains three domains: a CARD domain, as well as NOD and WD motifs, and is very similar to mammalian Apaf-1. Interference of Sl-apaf-1 expression in SL-1 cells blocked apoptosis induced by actinomycin D. Overexpression of Sl-apaf-1 significantly enhances apoptosis induced by actinomycin D in Sf9/SL-1/U2OS cells, suggesting that the function of Sl-Apaf-1 is evolutionarily conserved. Furthermore, Sl-Apaf-1 could interact with Sl-caspase-5 (a homologue of mammalian caspase-9) and yielded a binding affinity of 1.37 × 106 M–1 according isothermal titration calorimetry assay. Initiator caspase (procaspase-5) of S. litura could be activated by Sl-Apaf-1 (without WD motif) in vitro, and the activated Sl-caspase-5 could cleave Sl-procaspase-1 (a homologue of caspase-3 in mammals), which directly caused apoptosis. This study demonstrates the key role of Sl-Apaf-1 in the apoptosis pathway, suggesting that the apoptosis pathway in Lepidopteran insects and mammals is conserved.
An Ecological Risk Assessment of Sediments in a Developing Environment—Batticaloa Lagoon, Sri Lanka
Authors: Adikaram Madurya , Pitawala Amarasooriya , Ishiga Hiroaki , Jayawardana Daham , Eichler Carla M.
Published: January 2021

The land-sea interface is considered as a threatening environment due to anthropogenic development activities. Unplanned developments can cause effects on important ecosystems, water and human health as well. In this study, the influence of rapid regional development on the accumulation of trace elements to the sediments of an important ecosystem, Batticaloa lagoon, Sri Lanka was examined. Surface sediment pollution status and ecological risk was compared with that of the recent sedimentary history of about 1 m depth. Sediment core samples were collected and analyzed for grain size, organic matter and carbonate contents and trace elements (As, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni and Cr) by the X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) technique. The chemical results of core samples and recently published data of surface sediments of the same project were evaluated by pollution load index (PLI), potential ecological risk index (PERI) and sediment quality guidelines (SQG). Except for Cr, all other elements in cores show lower concentrations than the SQGs confirming the high Cr contents as recorded in the most of other Sri Lankan sediments. The sediment cores indicate an unpolluted, low ecological risk sedimentary history for all core sampling locations, whereas most of the surface sediments of the lagoon are less polluted with low potential ecological risk. Present anthropogenic practices and illiteracy of this rapid developing region can damage the green environment and hence environmental management planning is suggested for a sustainable future.
Social, Economic and Environmental Sustainability of Port Regions: MCDM Approach in Composite Index Creation
Authors: Stanković Jelena J. , Marjanović Ivana , Papathanasiou Jason , Drezgić Saša
Published: January 2021

Maritime transport and ports are among the most important linkages between global economies, handling more than 90% of internationally traded goods. Economic importance of maritime transport imposes significant implications on the social and environmental performance of port regions. The paper aims to create composite indices as relevant, scientific-based tools used in comparing and monitoring various aspects of sustainability across 37 sea port regions in seven countries on the European side of the Mediterranean, covering a five-year period from 2014 to 2018. The model encompasses Eurostat and OECD annual NUTS2 level data covering economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability. Two important indicators of maritime transport activity, maritime transport of freight and maritime transport of passengers, are included within the group of economic indicators. To create composite indices, the multicriteria decision making (MCDM) framework was used as an integrated approach of entropy in the weighting segment, and the Preference Ranking Organization METHod for Enrichment of Evaluations (PROMETHEE) as an aggregation method. The results highlight GDP per capita and population density as indicators of the greatest relative importance when it comes to port regions sustainability. The ranking results indicate that, despite the fact that Attica is the best ranked region in terms of overall sustainability, the largest number of top rated port regions are in Italy, Spain and France.
Acoustic Presence of Dolphins through Whistles Detection in Mediterranean Shallow Waters
Authors: Gregorietti Martina , Papale Elena , Ceraulo Maria , de Vita Clarissa , Pace Daniela Silvia , Tranchida Giorgio , Mazzola Salvatore , Buscaino Giuseppa
Published: January 2021

The evaluation of acoustic temporal rhythms in wide-ranging cetaceans can reveal patterns in animal spatial presence and the occurrence of periodical phenomena. Here, we aimed at assessing the temporal patterns of dolphin’s acoustic presence in a shallow-water area in the Sicily Strait (Mediterranean Sea). Whistles were collected continuously for 14 months from an acoustic monitoring station installed aboard of an elastic seamark. Over a total of 6955 h of recording, 14,048 signals were identified using both automatic and visual methods. Three parameters were analyzed: hourly presence (HP), used as a proxy of the presence of dolphins in the area; detection rate (DR), indicating the acoustic activity rate of dolphins measured per hour in the entire dataset; and detection rate in presence of dolphins (DRD), indicating the acoustic activity rate of dolphins considering only the hours when whistles were recorded. The highest values of both HP and DR were reached during the night, and the Autumn and Winter months, suggesting an increase in the dolphin’s occurrence and a possible moving away and towards the monitoring station potentially following prey. DRD, instead, showed an almost uniform distribution throughout the day implying that when the animals are close to the monitoring station, the acoustic activity does not show any pattern. However, possible changes in the communication exchange along the seasons were suggested. This study complements other work on this subject, improving the knowledge of dolphins’ acoustic activity in the area.
Improvement of the Welding Process for Fillet Air Test for the Biggest Taiwan Shipyard
Authors: Wang Chia-Nan , Hsueh Ming-Hsien , Lai Chao-Jung , Wang Chen-Fa , Wang Shi-Hao
Published: January 2021

During ship block construction, watertight bulkheads weld of every cabin of ships need to undergo stress testing according to the tanks’ test plan. Every incomplete bulkhead cannot be sprayed in order to protect them after sandblasting; this seriously affects the process of construction. Therefore, the issue of this study is to maintain the integrity of the painting quality and reduce the destruction of the paint, ship-building personnel seek how best to complete the block operation. The aim of this project is to improve the recent watertight bulkheads fillet air test operations in the construction stage using TRIZ (theory of inventive problem solving), promote the ground painting session integrity of every ship, improve the tanks’ test plan in the dock, and reduce the time spent on dismantling operations and the painting operation. Through the TRIZ, this study proposed lots of improvements, some of which are: the watertight cabins can finish the tanks test plan completely, and the integrity of the ground painting can be promoted to reduce the range of cabin test in the dock and reduce watertight bulkheads’ dismantling time. Moreover, because of the considerate reduction of the destruction of the coating, the painting operation is of good quality. The results demonstrate that the TRIZ successfully controls the production quality during construction, reduces working time, and promotes full efficiency. This study saved more than US$1 million of the outsourcing fee.