bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Resistance towards Critically Important Antimicrobials among Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium in Poultry Farm Environments in Selangor, Malaysia
Authors: Rajendiran Sakshaleni , Veloo Yuvaneswary , Thahir Syahidiah Syed Abu , Shaharudin Rafiza
Published: August 2022

Multidrug resistant (MDR) enterococci pose significant public health challenges. However, the extent of resistance in the environment is less explored. This study aimed to determine the antibiotic resistance in a poultry farm environment. Eighty enterococcal isolates recovered from the soil and effluent water of 28 poultry farms in Selangor state were included in the study for further bacterial identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing using a VITEK 2 system. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 27. The resistance rate and MDR of enterococcal isolates were reported. Out of 80 isolates recovered, 72 (90%) exhibited resistance to at least one antibiotic, with 50 isolates (62.5%) being found to be MDR. All linezolid-resistant enterococci (LRE) exhibit MDR, which constituted 40% of resistance among all the isolates recovered from poultry environment. Since linezolid is listed as critically important antibiotics for clinical use by the World Health Organization (WHO), the higher resistance towards it and other critically important antibiotic for human use is a serious concern. Hence, relevant agencies need to investigate the use of clinically important antimicrobials in poultry farms paying special attention towards linezolid or any other antibiotics that can facilitate the development of LRE.
Numerical Study of the Impact of Shot Peening on the Tooth Root Fatigue Performances of Gears Using Critical Plane Fatigue Criteria
Authors: Concli Franco
Published: August 2022

Gears are one of the the most widespread mechanical components and their design is supported by standard calculation methods. Among all the possible failure modes of gears, tooth root bending is the most critical and could lead to catastrophic failures. In this regard, different surface treatments could be exploited to improve the gear strength. Among them, shot peening is the most common. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of shot peening on improving the tooth root bending resistance. This is achieved by exploiting the Finite Element Method (FEM) in combination with advanced multiaxial fatigue criterion based on the critical plane concept. A standard Single Tooth Bending Fatigue test was reproduced numerically via FEM. Beside the wrought gears, shot peened ones were also simulated. The state of stress induced by the shot peening was obtained numerically by simulating the surface treatment itself with non-linear dynamic analyses. The results have shown quantitatively how the residual stresses promote an improvement in the resistance and how the local hardening could lead to different early paths of nucleation and propagation of cracks on the tooth fillet.
Automatic Classification of Crack Severity from Cross-Section Image of Timber Using Simple Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Kato Shigeru , Wada Naoki , Shiogai Kazuki , Tamaki Takashi , Kagawa Tomomichi , Toyosaki Renon , Nobuhara Hajime
Published: August 2022

Cedar and other timbers used for construction generally undergo a high-temperature drying process after being harvested to maintain their quality. However, internal cracks occur during this process. This is an issue because it deteriorates the structural performance, such as buckling strength and joint durability of the timber. Since preventing these internal cracks is difficult, their severity must be examined manually. Currently, the length, thickness, and area of the cracks on a cross-sectional surface of square timber are measured using calipers. However, this process is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Therefore, we employed a convolutional neural network (CNN), widely used in artificial intelligence applications, to automatically evaluate the severity of cracks from cross-sectional images of timber. A novel CNN was constructed and experimentally evaluated in this study. The average classification accuracy was 85.67%.
Applying Fuzzy Inference and Machine Learning Methods for Prediction with a Small Dataset: A Case Study for Predicting the Consequences of Oil Spills on a Ground Environment
Authors: Burmakova Anastasiya , Kalibatienė Diana
Published: August 2022

Applying machine learning (ML) and fuzzy inference systems (FIS) requires large datasets to obtain more accurate predictions. However, in the cases of oil spills on ground environments, only small datasets are available. Therefore, this research aims to assess the suitability of ML techniques and FIS for the prediction of the consequences of oil spills on ground environments using small datasets. Consequently, we present a hybrid approach for assessing the suitability of ML (Linear Regression, Decision Trees, Support Vector Regression, Ensembles, and Gaussian Process Regression) and the adaptive neural fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) for predicting the consequences of oil spills with a small dataset. This paper proposes enlarging the initial small dataset of an oil spill on a ground environment by using the synthetic data generated by applying a mathematical model. ML techniques and ANFIS were tested with the same generated synthetic datasets to assess the proposed approach. The proposed ANFIS-based approach shows significant performance and sufficient efficiency for predicting the consequences of oil spills on ground environments with a smaller dataset than the applied ML techniques. The main finding of this paper indicates that FIS is suitable for prediction with a small dataset and provides sufficiently accurate prediction results.
Serial Decoders-Based Auto-Encoders for Image Reconstruction
Authors: Li Honggui , Trocan Maria , Sawan Mohamad , Galayko Dimitri
Published: August 2022

Auto-encoders are composed of coding and decoding units; hence, they hold an inherent potential of being used for high-performance data compression and signal-compressed sensing. The main disadvantages of current auto-encoders comprise the following aspects: the research objective is not to achieve lossless data reconstruction but efficient feature representation; the evaluation of data recovery performance is neglected; it is difficult to achieve lossless data reconstruction using pure auto-encoders, even with pure deep learning. This paper aims at performing image reconstruction using auto-encoders, employs cascade decoders-based auto-encoders, perfects the performance of image reconstruction, approaches gradually lossless image recovery, and provides a solid theoretical and applicational basis for auto-encoders-based image compression and compressed sensing. The proposed serial decoders-based auto-encoders include the architectures of multi-level decoders and their related progressive optimization sub-problems. The cascade decoders consist of general decoders, residual decoders, adversarial decoders, and their combinations. The effectiveness of residual cascade decoders for image reconstruction is proven in mathematics. Progressive training can efficiently enhance the quality, stability, and variation of image reconstruction. It has been shown by the experimental results that the proposed auto-encoders outperform classical auto-encoders in the performance of image reconstruction.
Plant Exosomal Vesicles: Perspective Information Nanocarriers in Biomedicine
Authors: Shkryl Yury , Tsydeneshieva Zhargalma , Degtyarenko Anton , Yugay Yulia , Balabanova Larissa , Rusapetova Tatiana , Bulgakov Victor
Published: August 2022

Exosomal nanoparticles (exosomes or nanovesicles) are biogenic membrane vesicles secreted by various cell types and represent a conservative mechanism of intercellular and interspecies communication in pro- and eukaryotic organisms. By transporting specific proteins, nucleic acids, and low molecular weight metabolites, the exosomes are involved in the regulation of developmental processes, activation of the immune system, and the development of a protective response to stress. Recently, the plant nanovesicles, due to an economical and affordable source of their production, have attracted a lot of attention in the biomedical field. Being a natural transport system, the plant exosomes represent a promising platform in biomedicine for the delivery of molecules of both endogenous and exogenous origin. This review presents current data on the biogenesis of plant exosomes and their composition, as well as mechanisms of their loading with various therapeutic compounds, which are determining factors for their possible practical use. We believe that further research in this area will significantly expand the potential of targeted therapy, particularly targeted gene regulation via the small RNAs, due to the use of plant exosomes in clinical practice.
Intelligent Decision Forest Models for Customer Churn Prediction
Authors: Usman-Hamza Fatima Enehezei , Balogun Abdullateef Oluwagbemiga , Capretz Luiz Fernando , Mojeed Hammed Adeleye , Mahamad Saipunidzam , Salihu Shakirat Aderonke , Akintola Abimbola Ganiyat , Basri Shuib , Amosa Ramoni Tirimisiyu , Salahdeen Nasiru Kehinde
Published: August 2022

Customer churn is a critical issue impacting enterprises and organizations, particularly in the emerging and highly competitive telecommunications industry. It is important to researchers and industry analysts interested in projecting customer behavior to separate churn from non-churn consumers. The fundamental incentive is a firm’s intent desire to keep current consumers, along with the exorbitant expense of gaining new ones. Many solutions have been developed to address customer churn prediction (CCP), such as rule-based and machine learning (ML) solutions. However, the issue of scalability and robustness of rule-based customer churn solutions is a critical drawback, while the imbalanced nature of churn datasets has a detrimental impact on the prediction efficacy of conventional ML techniques in CCP. As a result, in this study, we developed intelligent decision forest (DF) models for CCP in telecommunication. Specifically, we investigated the prediction performances of the logistic model tree (LMT), random forest (RF), and Functional Trees (FT) as DF models and enhanced DF (LMT, RF, and FT) models based on weighted soft voting and weighted stacking methods. Extensive experimentation was performed to ascertain the efficacy of the suggested DF models utilizing publicly accessible benchmark telecom CCP datasets. The suggested DF models efficiently distinguish churn from non-churn consumers in the presence of the class imbalance problem. In addition, when compared to baseline and existing ML-based CCP methods, comparative findings showed that the proposed DF models provided superior prediction performances and optimal solutions for CCP in the telecom industry. Hence, the development and deployment of DF-based models for CCP and applicable ML tasks are recommended.
Power Darna Distribution with Right Censoring: Estimation, Testing, and Applications
Authors: Al-Omari Amer Ibrahim , Aidi Khaoula , AlSultan Rehab
Published: August 2022

The current paper proposes a new three-parameter probability distribution, called power Darna distribution (PDD), as an extension to the Darna distribution. An extra parameter is added to the base model and aims to increase the flexibility of the model in fitting various real data sets. Different statistical properties as reliability functions, hazard functions, and reversed hazard rate functions are obtained. Additionally, the shapes of the model, moments, inverse moments, and quantile function are derived and discussed. The distribution functions of order statistics from the PDD and moments of the smallest and largest order statistics are presented and a simulation study is conducted for explanation. An estimation of the parameters of PDD based on maximum likelihood estimation is presented. Finally, to demonstrate the PDD applicability in real life situations, a right-censored data set of carcinogenic DMBA in the vaginas of rats is considered and analyzed.
Adherence to Auto-CPAP and Age: A Stable Condition? Comment on Barroso et al. Influence of Age on Adherence to Auto-CPAP: Experience from a Sleep Center in Portugal. Adv. Respir. Med. 2022, 90, 143–147
Authors: Pazarlı Ahmet Cemal , Esquinas Antonio M.
Published: August 2022

We have read with great interest the recent paper published by Barroso et al. [...]
Awake Prone-Positioning in Patients on Non-Invasive Ventilation for Management of SARS-CoV-2 Pneumonia: A Systematic Review
Authors: Chilkoti Geetanjali Tolia , Mohta Medha , Ahmad Zainab , Saxena Ashok Kumar
Published: August 2022

Introduction: Patients with corona virus disease-19 (COVID-19)-induced acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF) are often on non-invasive ventilation (NIV) and use of awake prone positioning (PP) may pose concern in terms of feasibility, efficacy and side effects. This systematic review was undertaken to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of awake PP along with NIV in them. Materials and Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted from the inception of COVID-19 until 15 August 2021. Various factors including feasibility, interface used, outcome, efficacy, side effects and limitations in both intensive care unit (ICU) and Non-ICU setups were noted. Results: A total of 12 original articles and six case series including 359 patients were involved. Out of it, 40% (n = 122) of patients were in ICU and 60% (n = 237) in Non-ICU areas. Four clinical studies and four case series including 114 patients had evaluated PP along with helmet continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). All had found PP with helmet CPAP to be feasible and efficacious; however, only one study documented the sustained improvement in oxygenation i.e., 12 h after PP. Conclusions: The present systematic review observed moderate to serious risk of bias amongst the included studies along with heterogeneity in terms of varied respiratory support amongst patients. However, the use of awake PP in patients on NIV has been found to be feasible and efficacious with no adverse events.
An Improved Clustering Algorithm for Multi-Density Data
Authors: Almazroi Abdulwahab Ali , Atwa Walid
Published: August 2022

The clustering method divides a dataset into groups with similar data using similarity metrics. However, discovering clusters in different densities, shapes and distinct sizes is still a challenging task. In this regard, experts and researchers opt to use the DBSCAN algorithm as it uses density-based clustering techniques that define clusters of different sizes and shapes. However, it is misapplied to clusters of different densities due to its global attributes that generate a single density. Furthermore, most existing algorithms are unsupervised methods, where available prior knowledge is useless. To address these problems, this research suggests the use of a clustering algorithm that is semi-supervised. This allows the algorithm to use existing knowledge to generate pairwise constraints for clustering multi-density data. The proposed algorithm consists of two stages: first, it divides the dataset into different sets based on their density level and then applies the semi-supervised DBSCAN algorithm to each partition. Evaluation of the results shows the algorithm performing effectively and efficiently in comparison to unsupervised clustering algorithms.
Investigating the Transient Regenerative Potential of Cardiac Muscle Using a Neonatal Pig Partial Apical Resection Model
Authors: Copeland Katherine M. , Brazile Bryn L. , Butler J. Ryan , Cooley Jim , Brinkman-Ferguson Erin , Claude Andrew , Lin Sallie , Rais-Rohani Sammira , Welch Bradley , McMahan Sara R. , Nguyen Kytai T. , Hong Yi , Ramaswamy Sharan , Liu Zhi-Ping , Bajona Pietro , Peltz Matthias , Liao Jun
Published: August 2022

Researchers have shown that adult zebrafish have the potential to regenerate 20% of the ventricular muscle within two months of apex resection, and neonatal mice have the capacity to regenerate their heart after apex resection up until day 7 after birth. The goal of this study was to determine if large mammals (porcine heart model) have the capability to fully regenerate a resected portion of the left ventricular apex during the neonatal stage, and if so, how long the regenerative potential persists. A total of 36 piglets were divided into the following groups: 0-day control and surgical groups and seven-day control and surgical groups. For the apex removal groups, each piglet was subjected to a partial wall thickness resection (~30% of the ventricular wall thickness). Heart muscle function was assessed via transthoracic echocardiograms; the seven-day surgery group experienced a decrease in ejection fraction and fractional shortening. Upon gross necropsy, for piglets euthanized four weeks post-surgery, all 0-day-old hearts showed no signs of scarring or any indication of the induced injury. Histological analysis confirmed that piglets in the 0-day surgery group exhibited various degrees of regeneration, with half of the piglets showing full regeneration and the other half showing partial regeneration. However, each piglet in the seven-day surgery group demonstrated epicardial fibrosis along with moderate to severe dissecting interstitial fibrosis, which was accompanied by an abundant collagenous extracellular matrix as the result of a scar formation in the resection site. Histology of one 0-day apex resection piglet (briefly lain on and accidentally killed by the mother sow three days post-surgery) revealed dense, proliferative mesenchymal cells bordering the fibrin and hemorrhage zone and differentiating toward immature cardiomyocytes. We further examined the heart explants at 5-days post-surgery (5D PO) and 1-week post-surgery (1W PO) to assess the repair progression. For the 0-day surgery piglets euthanized at 5D PO and 1W PO, half had abundant proliferating mesenchymal cells, suggesting active regeneration, while the other half showed increased extracellular collagen. The seven-day surgery piglets euthanized at 5D PO, and 1W PO showed evidence of greatly increased extracellular collagen, while some piglets had proliferating mesenchymal cells, suggesting a regenerative effort is ongoing while scar formation seems to predominate. In short, our qualitative findings suggest that the piglets lose the full myocardial regenerative potential by 7 days after birth, but greatly preserve the regenerative potential within 1 day post-partum.
Subject-Based Model for Reconstructing Arterial Blood Pressure from Photoplethysmogram
Authors: Tang Qunfeng , Chen Zhencheng , Ward Rabab , Menon Carlo , Elgendi Mohamed
Published: August 2022

The continuous prediction of arterial blood pressure (ABP) waveforms via non-invasive methods is of great significance for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Photoplethysmography (PPG) can be used to reconstruct ABP signals due to having the same excitation source and high signal similarity. The existing methods of reconstructing ABP signals from PPG only focus on the similarities between systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressures without evaluating their global similarity. This paper proposes a deep learning model with a W-Net architecture to reconstruct ABP signals from PPG. The W-Net consists of two concatenated U-Net architectures, the first acting as an encoder and the second as a decoder to reconstruct ABP from PPG. Five hundred records of different lengths were used for training and testing. The experimental results yielded high values for the similarity measures between the reconstructed ABP signals and their reference ABP signals: the Pearson correlation, root mean square error, and normalized dynamic time warping distance were 0.995, 2.236 mmHg, and 0.612 mmHg on average, respectively. The mean absolute errors of the SBP and DBP were 2.602 mmHg and 1.450 mmHg on average, respectively. Therefore, the model can reconstruct ABP signals that are highly similar to the reference ABP signals.
Identification of 11-Hydroxytephrosin and Torosaflavone A as Potential Inhibitors of 3-Phosphoinositide-Dependent Protein Kinase 1 (PDPK1): Toward Anticancer Drug Discovery
Authors: Atiya Akhtar , Alhumaydhi Fahad A. , Sharaf Sharaf E. , Al Abdulmonem Waleed , Elasbali Abdelbaset Mohamed , Al Enazi Maher M. , Shamsi Anas , Jawaid Talha , Alghamdi Badrah S. , Hashem Anwar M. , Ashraf Ghulam Md. , Shahwan Moyad
Published: August 2022

The 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDPK1) has a significant role in cancer progression and metastasis as well as other inflammatory disorders, and has been proposed as a promising therapeutic target for several malignancies. In this work, we conducted a systematic virtual screening of natural compounds from the IMPPAT database to identify possible PDPK1 inhibitors. Primarily, the Lipinski rules, ADMET, and PAINS filter were applied and then the binding affinities, docking scores, and selectivity were carried out to find effective hits against PDPK1. Finally, we identified two natural compounds, 11-Hydroxytephrosin and Torosaflavone A, bearing substantial affinity with PDPK1. Both compounds showed drug-likeness as predicted by the ADMET analysis and their physicochemical parameters. These compounds preferentially bind to the ATP-binding pocket of PDPK1 and interact with functionally significant residues. The conformational dynamics and complex stability of PDPK1 with the selected compounds were then studied using interaction analysis and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for 100 ns. The simulation results revealed that PDPK1 forms stable docked complexes with the elucidated compounds. The findings show that the newly discovered 11-Hydroxytephrosin and Torosaflavone A bind to PDPK1 in an ATP-competitive manner, suggesting that they could one day be used as therapeutic scaffolds against PDPK1-associated diseases including cancer.
Cocoa Extract Provides Protection against 6-OHDA Toxicity in SH-SY5Y Dopaminergic Neurons by Targeting PERK
Authors: Vestuto Vincenzo , Amodio Giuseppina , Pepe Giacomo , Basilicata Manuela Giovanna , Belvedere Raffaella , Napolitano Enza , Guarnieri Daniela , Pagliara Valentina , Paladino Simona , Rodriquez Manuela , Bertamino Alessia , Campiglia Pietro , Remondelli Paolo , Moltedo Ornella
Published: August 2022

Parkinson’s disease (PD) represents one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders, characterized by a dopamine (DA) deficiency in striatal synapses and misfolded toxic α-synuclein aggregates with concomitant cytotoxicity. In this regard, the misfolded proteins accumulation in neurodegenerative disorders induces a remarkable perturbations of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis leading to persistent ER stress, which in turn, effects protein synthesis, modification, and folding quality control. A large body of evidence suggests that natural products target the ER stress signaling pathway, exerting a potential action in cancers, diabetes, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. This study aims to assess the neuroprotective effect of cocoa extract and its purified fractions against a cellular model of Parkinson’s disease represented by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma. Our findings demonstrate, for the first time, the ability of cocoa to specifically targets PERK sensor, with significant antioxidant and antiapoptotic activities as both crude and fractioning extracts. In addition, cocoa also showed antiapoptotic properties in 3D cell model and a notable ability to inhibit the accumulation of α-synuclein in 6-OHDA-induced cells. Overall, these results indicate that cocoa exerts neuroprotective effects suggesting a novel possible strategy to prevent or, at least, mitigate neurodegenerative disorders, such as PD.
Pathophysiological Mechanisms of Antipsychotic-Induced Parkinsonism
Authors: Vaiman Elena , Shnayder Natalia , Khasanova Aiperi , Strelnik Anna , Gayduk Arseny , Al-Zamil Mustafa , Sapronova Margarita , Zhukova Natalia , Smirnova Daria , Nasyrova Regina
Published: August 2022

Among neurological adverse reactions in patients with schizophrenia treated with antipsychotics (APs), drug-induced parkinsonism (DIP) is the most common motility disorder caused by drugs affecting dopamine receptors. One of the causes of DIP is the disruption of neurotransmitter interactions that regulate the signaling pathways of the dopaminergic, cholinergic, GABAergic, adenosinergic, endocannabinoid, and other neurotransmitter systems. Presently, the development mechanisms remain poorly understood despite the presence of the considered theories of DIP pathogenesis.
Relationship between Attachment to Pet and Post-Traumatic Growth after Pet Loss: Mediated Moderating Effect of Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategy through Separation Pain
Authors: Park Hyo Jin , Jeong Goo-Churl
Published: August 2022

The declining fertility rate and an aging population have accelerated the number of single-person households and nuclear families, and the number of households raising pets has naturally increased. However, pet owners experience great sorrow and trauma due to the death of their pets. The stronger the attachment to pets, the more severe the separation pain caused by pet loss. The purpose of this study was to analyze the moderating effect of a cognitive emotion regulation strategy mediated through separation pain on the relationship between attachment and post-traumatic growth after pet loss among owners. The study participants were 303 owners who have experienced pet loss. We analyzed the mediated moderating effects by PROCESS macro. The results showed that the adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategy strengthened the effect of attachment to pets on post-traumatic growth and decreased the effect on separation pain. Conversely, the maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategy weakened the effect of attachment to pets on post-traumatic growth and strengthened the effect on separation pain. The act of intentionally expanding the perspective on pet loss experience, switching into a more positive focus, and accepting reality will reduce the grief of its companions and become an opportunity for growth.
The Influence of Message Framing on Project Managers’ Behavioral Intentions Regarding Construction Waste Reduction
Authors: Yao Lianying , Liang Yulu , Li Xiangyu , Wang Zhimin , Jiang Shuli , Yan Cheng
Published: August 2022

Construction waste reduction (CWR) is an important approach to tackling the environmental problems resulting from increasing construction and demolition activities. Existing studies have explored various factors influencing construction stakeholders’ behavior or behavior intention regarding CWR mainly in terms of individual traits and environmental issues. With the advancement of information society, message framing has been explored as an emerging low-cost nudge approach for promoting pro-environment behavior or behavior intention in various research fields. Yet, few studies have investigated the influence of message framing on project managers’ behavior intentions regarding CWR. This study explores the relationship between project managers’ behavior intentions regarding CWR and message framing of CWR in terms of economic benefit vs. environmental benefit and small scale vs. large scale. A questionnaire experiment with 120 randomly selected project managers was conducted in Hangzhou. Two-way ANOVA and linear regression were performed to test the hypotheses. The results show that environmental benefit information has a higher impact on project managers’ behavior intentions regarding CWR than economic benefit information, while scale framing has an insignificant influence. The findings provide an alternative approach to increasing project managers’ awareness of CWR and further improve construction waste management.
Heterogeneity of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts and the Tumor Immune Microenvironment in Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Shinkawa Tomohiko , Ohuchida Kenoki , Nakamura Masafumi
Published: August 2022

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal cancers, with a 5-year survival rate of 9%. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have historically been considered tumor-promoting. However, multiple studies reporting that suppression of CAFs in PDAC mouse models resulted in more aggressive tumors and worse prognosis have suggested the existence of a tumor-suppressive population within CAFs, leading to further research on heterogeneity within CAFs. In recent years, the benefits of cancer immunotherapy have been reported in various carcinomas. Unfortunately, the efficacy of immunotherapies in PDAC has been limited, and the CAF-driven cancer immunosuppressive microenvironment has been suggested as the cause. Thus, clarification of heterogeneity within the tumor microenvironment, including CAFs and tumor immunity, is urgently needed to establish effective therapeutic strategies for PDAC. In this review, we report the latest findings on the heterogeneity of CAFs and the functions of each major CAF subtype, which have been revealed by single-cell RNA sequencing in recent years. We also describe reports of tumor-suppressive CAF subtypes and the existence of CAFs that maintain a differentiated PDAC phenotype and review the potential for targeted therapy.
Asymmetric Organocatalysis—A Powerful Technology Platform for Academia and Industry: Pregabalin as a Case Study
Authors: Giorgianni Giuliana , Bernardi Luca , Fini Francesco , Pesciaioli Fabio , Secci Francesco , Carlone Armando
Published: August 2022

Enantioselective organocatalysis has quickly established itself as the third pillar of asymmetric catalysis. It is a powerful technology platform, and it has a tremendous impact in both academic and industrial settings. By focusing on pregabalin, as a case study, this Perspective aims to show how a process amenable to industry of a simple chiral molecule can be tackled in several different ways using organocatalysis.
Metabolic Pathways and Ion Channels Involved in Skeletal Muscle Atrophy: A Starting Point for Potential Therapeutic Strategies
Authors: Canfora Ileana , Tarantino Nancy , Pierno Sabata
Published: August 2022

Skeletal muscle tissue has the important function of supporting and defending the organism. It is the largest apparatus in the human body, and its function is important for contraction and movements. In addition, it is involved in the regulation of protein synthesis and degradation. In fact, inhibition of protein synthesis and/or activation of catabolism determines a pathological condition called muscle atrophy. Muscle atrophy is a reduction in muscle mass resulting in a partial or complete loss of function. It has been established that many physiopathological conditions can cause a reduction in muscle mass. Nevertheless, it is not well known the molecular mechanisms and signaling processes causing this dramatic event. There are multiple concomitant processes involved in muscle atrophy. In fact, the gene transcription of some factors, oxidative stress mechanisms, and the alteration of ion transport through specific ion channels may contribute to muscle function impairment. In this review, we focused on the molecular mechanisms responsible for muscle damage and potential drugs to be used to alleviate this disabling condition.
Exosomes Derived from Adipose Mesenchymal Stem Cells Promote Diabetic Chronic Wound Healing through SIRT3/SOD2
Authors: Zhang Yue , Bai Xiaozhi , Shen Kuo , Luo Liang , Zhao Ming , Xu Chaolei , Jia Yanhui , Xiao Dan , Li Yan , Gao Xiaowen , Tian Chenyang , Wang Yunchuan , Hu Dahai
Published: August 2022

Chronic wounds resulting from diabetes are a major health concern in both industrialized and developing countries, representing one of the leading causes of disability and death. This study aimed to investigate the effect of adipose mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (ADSC-exos) on diabetic wounds and the mechanism underlying this effect. The results showed that ADSC-exos could improve oxidative stress and secretion of inflammatory cytokines in diabetic wounds, thereby increasing periwound vascularization and accelerating wound healing. At the cellular level, ADSC-exos reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and improved mitochondrial function in a high-glucose environment. Moreover, the Western blot analysis showed that the high-glucose environment decreased Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) expression, while exosome treatment increased SIRT3 expression. The activity of superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) was enhanced, and the level of inflammatory cytokines was decreased. Further, SIRT3 interference experiments indicated that the effects of ADSC-exos on oxidative stress and angiogenesis were partly dependent on SIRT3. After SIRT3 was inhibited, ROS production increased, while mitochondrial membrane potential and SOD2 activity decreased. These findings confirmed that ADSC-exos could improve the level of high-glucose-induced oxidative stress, promote angiogenesis, and reduce mitochondrial functional impairment and the inflammatory response by regulating SIRT3/SOD2, thus promoting diabetic wound healing.
Administration of 3% Sodium Chloride and Local Infusion Reactions
Authors: Moritz Michael L. , Ayus Juan C. , Nelson Joel B.
Published: August 2022

Three-percent sodium chloride (3% NaCl) is a hyperosmolar agent used to treat hyponatremic encephalopathy or other cases of increased intracranial pressure. A barrier to the use of 3% NaCl is the perceived risk of local infusion reactions when administered through a peripheral vein. We sought to evaluate reports of local infusion reactions associated with 3% NaCl over a 10-year period throughout a large healthcare system. A query was conducted through the Risk Master database to determine if there were any local infusion reactions associated with peripheral 3% NaCl administration throughout the entire UPMC health system, which consists of 40 hospitals with 8400 licensed beds, over a 10-year time period from 14 May 2010 to 14 May 2020. Search terms included infiltrations, extravasations, phlebitis, IV site issues, and IV solutions. There were 23,714 non-chemotherapeutic and non-contrast-associated intravenous events, of which 4678 (19.7%) were at UPMC Children’s Hospital. A total of 2306 patients received 3% NaCl, of whom 836 (35.8%) were at UPMC Children’s Hospital. There were no reported local infusion reactions with 3% NaCl. There were no reported local infusion reaction events associated with 3% NaCl in a large healthcare system over a 10-year period. This suggests that 3% NaCl can be safely administered through a peripheral IV or central venous catheter.
Does a Gluten-Free Diet Affect BMI and Glycosylated Hemoglobin in Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes and Asymptomatic Celiac Disease? A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review
Authors: Burayzat Salma , Elsahoryi Nour , Freitekh Ali , Alzoubi Osama , Al-Najjar Rahaf , Tayyem Reema
Published: August 2022

Background: Children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) are more prone to having celiac disease (CD) than the normal population. Moreover, patients with this dual diagnosis who are also on a diabetic and gluten-free diet (GFD) risk faltering growth and uncontrolled blood glucose levels. This review aims to assess the efficacy and effectiveness of managing patients with T1DM screened for CD with GFD to prevent complications associated with these chronic pathologies in childhood and adulthood. Materials and Methods: We abided by the PRISMA guidelines in this meta-analysis and used multiple databases and search engines. We included case–control studies. The primary outcomes were changes in the standard deviation score, body mass index (SDS BMI), and glycosylated hemoglobin (HA1C) after being on a GFD for at least twelve months. Results: The pooled data from the six studies included showed that there was neither a statistically significant difference in the mean SDS BMI (−0.28 (95% CI −0.75, 0.42)) (p = 0.24) nor in the mean of HA1C (mean −0.07 (95% CI −0.44, 0.30)) (p = 0.36) for the same group. HDL cholesterol improved significantly in patients on a strict GFD (p < 0.01). Conclusions: In children with T1DM and asymptomatic CD, being on a GFD had no significant effect on BMI or HA1C. However, it can have a protective effect on the other complications found in both chronic pathologies.
Transcriptomes of Wet Skin Biopsies Predict Outcomes after Ionizing Radiation Exposure with Potential Dosimetric Applications in a Mouse Model
Authors: Alkhalil Abdulnaser , Clifford John , Miller Stacyann M. , Gautam Aarti , Jett Marti , Hammamieh Rasha , Moffatt Lauren T. , Shupp Jeffrey W.
Published: August 2022

Countermeasures for radiation diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment are trailing behind the proliferation of nuclear energy and weaponry. Radiation injury mechanisms at the systems biology level are not fully understood. Here, mice skin biopsies at h2, d4, d7, d21, and d28 after exposure to 1, 3, 6, or 20 Gy whole-body ionizing radiation were evaluated for the potential application of transcriptional alterations in radiation diagnosis and prognosis. Exposure to 20 Gy was lethal by d7, while mice who received 1, 3, or 6 Gy survived the 28-day time course. A Sammon plot separated samples based on survival and time points (TPs) within lethal (20 Gy) and sublethal doses. The differences in the numbers, regulation mode, and fold change of significantly differentially transcribed genes (SDTGs, p < 0.05 and FC > 2) were identified between lethal and sublethal doses, and down and upregulation dominated transcriptomes during the first post-exposure week, respectively. The numbers of SDTGs and the percentages of upregulated ones revealed stationary downregulation post-lethal dose in contrast to responses to sublethal doses which were dynamic and largely upregulated. Longitudinal up/downregulated SDTGs ratios suggested delayed and extended responses with increasing IR doses in the sublethal range and lethal-like responses in late TPs. This was supported by the distributions of common and unique genes across TPs within each dose. Several genes with potential dosimetric marker applications were identified. Immune, fibrosis, detoxification, hematological, neurological, gastric, cell survival, migration, and proliferation radiation response pathways were identified, with the majority predicted to be activated after sublethal and inactivated after lethal exposures, particularly during the first post-exposure week.
Analysis of Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients in Cosmetics
Authors: Pratiwi Rimadani , Auliya As Nisa Nurul , Yusar Rani Fitrilia , Shofwan Adnan Aly Al
Published: August 2022

The general public uses cosmetics daily. Cosmetic products contain substances (ingredients) with various functions, from skincare to enhancing appearance, as well as ingredients that preserve the cosmetic products. Some cosmetic ingredients are prohibited or restricted in certain geographical regions, such as the European Union and the United States of America, due to their potential to cause adverse effects such as cancer, birth defects, and/or developmental and reproductive disorders. However, the ingredients may be used in other regions, and, hence, the monitoring of the cosmetic ingredients actually used is important to ensure the safety of cosmetic products. This review provides an overview of recent analytical methods that have been developed for detecting certain ingredients that are restricted or prohibited by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and/or EU legislation on cosmetic products.
Confronting the Negative Impact of Cigarette Smoking on Cancer Surgery
Authors: Choe Se-In , Finley Christian
Published: August 2022

Smoking is a common health risk behavior that has substantial effects on perioperative risk and postoperative surgical outcomes. Current smoking is clearly linked to an increased risk of perioperative cardiovascular, pulmonary and wound healing complications. Accumulating evidence indicates that smoking cessation can reduce the higher perioperative complication risk that is observed in current smokers. In addition, continued smoking has a negative impact on the overall prognosis of cancer patients. Smoking cessation, on the other hand, can improve long-term outcomes after surgery. Smoking cessation services should be implemented in a comprehensive programmatic manner to ensure that all patients gain access to evidence-based care. Although the benefits of abstinence increase in proportion to the length of cessation, cessation should be recommended regardless of timing prior to surgery.
An Introduction to Conservation Biology of Vascular Plants
Authors: Stinca Adriano
Published: August 2022

Vascular plants, i.e., plants [...]
Tularemia Presenting Solely with Cervical Lymphadenopathy and Fever
Authors: Boeckel Göran Ramin , Adiprasito Jan Basri , Froböse Neele Judith , Schaumburg Frieder , Vollenberg Richard , Tepasse Phil-Robin
Published: August 2022

A 52-year-old German female presented with cervical lymphadenopathy and fever. Despite the initial symptom-presentation leading to the consideration of sarcoidosis, lymphoma, tuberculosis, and toxoplasmosis, an extensive serologic and histo- and molecular pathologic workup eventually indicated a likely diagnosis of tularemia. This case brings to light that tularemia is a diagnostic challenge and requires high reliance on the epidemiological context thorough patient history, and an extensive interdisciplinary diagnostic workup.
Pathological and Molecular Features of Nodal Peripheral T-Cell Lymphomas
Authors: Satou Akira , Takahara Taishi , Tsuzuki Toyonori
Published: August 2022

Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) are uncommon neoplasms derived from mature T cells or NK cells. PTCLs comprise numerous disease entities, with over 30 distinct entities listed in the latest WHO classification. They predominantly affect adults and elderly people and usually exhibit an aggressive clinical course with poor prognosis. According to their presentation, PTCLs can be divided into nodal, extranodal or cutaneous, and leukemic types. The most frequent primary sites of PTCLs are lymph nodes, with over half of cases showing nodal presentation. Nodal PTCLs include ALK-positive and ALK-negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma; nodal T-cell lymphoma with T follicular helper cell origin; and PTCL, not otherwise specified. Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma also frequently affects lymph nodes. Recent pathological and molecular findings in nodal PTCLs have profoundly advanced the identification of tumor signatures and the refinement of the classification. Therefore, the therapies and pathological diagnosis of nodal PTCLs are continually evolving. This paper aims to provide a summary and update of the pathological and molecular features of nodal PTCLs, which will be helpful for diagnostic practice.
Design of the System for Measuring UAV Parameters
Authors: Novotňák Jozef , Fiľko Martin , Lipovský Pavol , Šmelko Miroslav
Published: August 2022

This article deals with the design and creation of a tensometric measuring system to measure the parameters of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of the quadcopter type. The system was designed to measure the total UAV thrust and the thrust of its individual motors. The distribution of forces from the UAV motors and their transmission to the sensors was ensured by a specially designed construction, for which the mechanical stresses were simulated and analysed for different modes of the UAV flight. The thrust measurement was performed by four pairs of strain gauges. A measurement system designed in this way and the measured parameters of the UAV can be used for tuning the flight control algorithms applied in the autopilot.
Position Periodic Control of Two Rotating Airplanes
Authors: Bautista-Medina José Antonio , Lozano Rogelio , Osorio-Cordero Antonio
Published: August 2022

The increasing development in aerial vehicles shows a wide range of configurations for different requirements. Many of them combine conventional configurations’ features to take advantage of their qualities, such as performing a cruise flight as an airplane and hovering like a helicopter. Thereby, this study analyzes the modeling and control of a pair of fixed-wing airplanes joined together to form a larger rotor that incorporates valuable features in missions with aerial vehicles. The model uses the Lagrange approach to obtain the motion equations in the flight plane, and two control strategies are proposed to regulate the movement in the horizontal plane: a cyclic proportional derivative control and a positive function. Both controls generate a sinusoidal signal to regulate the thrust of the motors, and this leads to the generation of pulses that direct and move the vehicle toward a desired position until it is reached. Our analysis is validated by simulation that shows how both controls govern the center of mass position of the rotating planes, and it also shows the airplanes’ trajectory. The results show good performance.
Effective Gibbs State for Averaged Observables
Authors: Teretenkov Alexander Evgen’evich
Published: August 2022

We introduce the effective Gibbs state for the observables averaged with respect to fast free dynamics. We prove that the information loss due to the restriction of our measurement capabilities to such averaged observables is non-negative and discuss a thermodynamic role of it. We show that there are a lot of similarities between this effective Hamiltonian and the mean force Hamiltonian, which suggests a generalization of quantum thermodynamics including both cases. We also perturbatively calculate the effective Hamiltonian and correspondent corrections to the thermodynamic quantities and illustrate it with several examples.
Index Coding with Multiple Interpretations
Authors: Pedrosa Valéria G. , Costa Max H. M.
Published: August 2022

The index coding problem consists of a system with a server and multiple receivers with different side information and demand sets, connected by a noiseless broadcast channel. The server knows the side information available to the receivers. The objective is to design an encoding scheme that enables all receivers to decode their demanded messages with a minimum number of transmissions, referred to as an index code length. The problem of finding the minimum length index code that enables all receivers to correct a specific number of errors has also been studied. This work establishes a connection between index coding and error-correcting codes with multiple interpretations from the tree construction of nested cyclic codes. The notion of multiple interpretations using nested codes is as follows: different data packets are independently encoded, and then combined by addition and transmitted as a single codeword, minimizing the number of channel uses and offering error protection. The resulting packet can be decoded and interpreted in different ways, increasing the error correction capability, depending on the amount of side information available at each receiver. Motivating applications are network downlink transmissions, information retrieval from datacenters, cache management, and sensor networks.