bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fermentation Affects the Antioxidant Activity of Plant-Based Food Material through the Release and Production of Bioactive Components
Authors: Zhao Yan-Sheng , Eweys Aya Samy , Zhang Jia-Yan , Zhu Ying , Bai Juan , Darwesh Osama M. , Zhang Hai-Bo , Xiao Xiang
Published: December 2021

This review reports on the effects of fermentation on the chemical constituents and antioxidant activity of plant-based food materials. Fermentation involves a series of reactions that modify the chemical components of the substrate. It could be considered a tool to increase the bioactive compounds and functional properties of food plant materials. Oxidative damage is key to the progression of many human diseases, and the production of antioxidant compounds by fermentation will be helpful to reduce the risk of these diseases. Fermentation also can improve antioxidant activity given its association with increased phytochemicals, antioxidant polysaccharides, and antioxidant peptides produced by microbial hydrolysis or biotransformation. Additionally, fermentation can encourage the breakdown of plant cell walls, which helps to liberate or produce various antioxidant compounds. Overall, results indicated that fermentation in many cases contributed to enhancing antioxidants’ content and antioxidant capacity, supporting the fermentation use in the production of value-added functional food. This review provides an overview of the factors that impact the effects of fermentation on bioactive compound composition and antioxidant activity. The impacts of fermentation are summarized as a reference to its effects on food plant material.
An Intercellular Flow of Glutathione Regulated by Interleukin 6 Links Astrocytes and the Liver in the Pathophysiology of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Authors: López-Blanch Rafael , Salvador-Palmer Rosario , Estrela José M. , Obrador Elena
Published: December 2021

Oxidative stress has been proposed as a major mechanism of damage to motor neurons associated with the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Astrocytes are the most numerous glial cells in the central nervous system and, under physiological conditions, protect neurons from oxidative damage. However, it is uncertain how their reactive phenotype may affect motor neurons during ALS progression. In two different ALS mouse models (SOD1G93A and FUS-R521C), we found that increased levels of proinflammatory interleukin 6 facilitate glutathione (GSH) release from the liver to blood circulation, which can reach the astrocytes and be channeled towards motor neurons as a mechanism of antioxidant protection. Nevertheless, although ALS progression is associated with an increase in GSH efflux from astrocytes, generation of reactive oxygen species also increases, suggesting that as the disease progresses, astrocyte-derived oxidative stress could be key to motor-neuron damage.
Use of Foamed Cement Banking for Reducing Expressways Embankment Settlement
Authors: Wu Yuedong , Liu Hui , Liu Jian
Published: December 2021

Expressways are often built on soft ground, the foundation of which is not processed adequately during the construction period. Consequently, the traffic safety and embankment stability will be seriously affected due to uneven settlement. The technology of holing the embankment and replacing foamed cement banking (FCB) could control the settlement of an embankment without road closure, thus reduce the impact of construction on normal operation of highways. In this paper, the principle of FCB is described. Additionally, a sedimentation ratio calculation method, through the analysis of the settlement load ratio, is proposed for calculating the roadbed replacement thickness. This paper takes the example of the test section EK0 + 323 on Shen-Jia-Hu expressway in Zhejiang Province and combines with site settlement monitoring data to confirm the effectiveness of the calculation method proposed.
Methodology for Defining the Interaction between Product Characteristics and Specific Product Complexity—Evaluated on Electrodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Rahlfs Sina , Vysoudil Filip , Dietrich Franz , Vietor Thomas
Published: December 2021

This study is about a method for evaluating specific product complexity. In this context, an efficient and scalable method for the development of a specific complexity assessment of highly complex products is presented. Furthermore, existing evaluation methods are analysed according to effort and benefit, thus showing the research gap and the need for the method to be developed. The procedure for the development of an indicator for the specific evaluation of product complexity is presented in five steps and an exemplary complexity indicator for lithium ion battery cells is developed. This index is then applied, and the complexity of commercial battery cells from the application is evaluated. Based on these evaluations, final potentials of the method are shown and a recommendation for a reduction in product complexity is provided. The developed method for complexity assessment is scalable in its effort and offers implementation into existing complexity management. The method allows quick adaptation or extension and, thus, well-founded decision making. By standardizing the evaluation and taking objectively measurable complexity characteristic values as a basis, a holistic and objective evaluation tool is shown, which can thus become a decisive success factor for manufacturers of complex products.
Estimation of Stature from Tibia Length for Romanian Adult Population
Authors: Diac Madalina Maria , Iov Tatiana , Damian Simona Irina , Knieling Anton , Girlescu Nona , Lucasievici Codrin , David Sofia , Kranioti Elena F. , Iliescu Diana Bulgaru
Published: December 2021

The estimation of stature from bones plays an important role in identifying unknown bodies, body parts, or skeletal remains, as it is an important component of the biological profile in forensic identification. The objective of this study is to enhance the development of forensic anthropology in Romania by creating a new regression formula for stature estimation. This can be accomplished from the length of the tibia, taking into account sex and age, for the Romanian adult population. A total of 137 cases from a delimited territory of Romania were included in the study. The length of the tibia and the stature of the individuals were measured before autopsy. Statistical analysis was carried using (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) SPSS 23. Tibia length showed a high correlation with stature for males, females, and the total sample. Four regression formulae were created for stature estimation of Romanian males, females, and unknown sex. The results of the analysis are impressive and have a good applicability in a forensic anthropological context. The data used in this paper provide reliable results with a large applicability in the future for estimating stature from the tibia length for the Romanian adult population.
Evaluation of the Effect of Food Products Containing Prebiotics and Bacillus subtilis HU58 on the Gut Microbial Community Activity and Community Composition Using an In Vitro M-SHIME® Model
Authors: Marzorati Massimo , Bubeck Sarah , Bayne Thomas , Krishnan Kiran , Young Aicacia
Published: December 2021

GoodBiome™ Foods is a collection of foods infused with prebiotics, including inulin and xylooligosaccharides, and the probiotic Bacillus subtilis HU58. The effects of repeated intake of three predigested GoodBiome™ Foods products and one comparator product on microbial community activity and composition were assessed using the mucosal simulator of the human intestinal microbial system (M-SHIME®) platform with proximal colon (PC) and distal colon (DC) compartments and conducted under healthy gut conditions. Treatment with all test products increased short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production (acetate, propionate, and butyrate) versus the control period in both the PC and DC. The highest increases were seen with the GoodBiome™ Foods products. Ammonium and branched SCFA levels were also increased (versus the control period) in both compartments. Treatment with all test products enhanced the Simpson diversity index (versus the control period), reaching significance for all test products in the PC (p < 0.05). Treatment with all test products resulted in changes in the microbial community composition. The relative abundance increased for Proteobacteria and decreased for Actinobacteria in the PC and DC. Repeated intake of GoodBiome™ Food products increased SCFA production and microbial diversity in an M-SHIME® model of the human intestinal microbiome.
Performance Analysis of Direct Torque Controllers in Five-Phase Electrical Drives
Authors: Bermúdez Mario , Barrero Federico , Martín Cristina , Perales Manuel
Published: December 2021

The industrial application of electric machines has grown in the last decades, thanks to the development of microprocessors and power converters, which have permitted their use as variable-speed drives. Although three-phase machines are the common trend, the interest of the research community has recently focused on machines with more than three phases, known as multiphase machines. The principal reason lies in the exploitation of their advantages in terms of reliability, i.e., post-fault operating capability. Additionally, multiphase machines provide a better current distribution among phases, and lower current harmonic production in the power converter, than conventional three-phase machines. However, multiphase drive applications require the development of complex controllers to regulate the torque (or speed) and flux of the machine. In this regard, direct torque controllers have appeared as a viable alternative due to their easy formulation and high flexibility to incorporate control objectives. However, these controllers face some peculiarities and limitations in their use that require attention. This work aims to tackle direct torque control as a viable alternative for the regulation of multiphase drives. Special attention will be paid to the development of the control technique and the expected benefits and limitations in the obtained results. Case examples based on symmetrical five-phase induction machines with distributed windings in the motoring mode of operation will be used to this end.
Real-Time Detection of Overloads on the Plasma-Facing Components of Wendelstein 7-X
Authors: Puig Sitjes Aleix , Jakubowski Marcin , Naujoks Dirk , Gao Yu , Drewelow Peter , Niemann Holger , Fellinger Joris , Moncada Victor , Pisano Fabio , Belafdil Chakib , Mitteau Raphael , Aumeunier Marie-Hélène , Cannas Barbara , Casas Josep Ramon , Salembier Philippe , Clemente Rocco , Fischer Simon , Winter Axel , Laqua Heike , Bluhm Torsten , Brandt Karsten ,   The W7-X Team
Published: December 2021

Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) is the leading experiment on the path of demonstrating that stellarators are a feasible concept for a future power plant. One of its major goals is to prove quasi-steady-state operation in a reactor-relevant parameter regime. The surveillance and protection of the water-cooled plasma-facing components (PFCs) against overheating is fundamental to guarantee a safe steady-state high-heat-flux operation. The system has to detect thermal events in real-time and timely interrupt operation if it detects a critical event. The fast reaction times required to prevent damage to the device make it imperative to automate fully the image analysis algorithms. During the past operational phases, W7-X was equipped with inertially cooled test divertor units and the system still required manual supervision. With the experience gained, we have designed a new real-time PFC protection system based on image processing techniques. It uses a precise registration of the entire field of view against the CAD model to determine the temperature limits and thermal properties of the different PFCs. Instead of reacting when the temperature limits are breached in certain regions of interest, the system predicts when an overload will occur based on a heat flux estimation, triggering the interlock system in advance to compensate for the system delay. To conclude, we present our research roadmap towards a feedback control system of thermal loads to prevent unnecessary plasma interruptions in long high-performance plasmas.
Combined Effects of External Moments and Muscle Activations on ACL Loading during Numerical Simulations of a Female Model in OpenSim
Authors: Daliet Oliver J. , Briem Kristín , Brynjólfsson Sigurður , Sigurðsson Haraldur B.
Published: December 2021

Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries have been studied using a variety of methods and tools. However, each is hindered by specific limitations with respect to its application. Aim: To assess the combined effects of external moments and muscle activations on ACL loading using serial, forward dynamics (FD) simulations of single leg, hyperextension landings in OpenSim. Methods: The FD tool of OpenSim was iteratively run using different combinations of knee-spanning muscle activation levels, internal rotation and valgus knee moment magnitudes. A regression was conducted on the data in order to predict ACL loading under different conditions. Results: A purely abduction moment leads to greater mean ACL loading than a purely internal rotation moment or any combination of the two. Additionally, the generalized boosted regression model using both external moments and certain knee muscles identified the internal rotation moment as the most important variable in predicting the ACL load (R2 = 0.9; p < 0.0001). Conclusion: This study demonstrated a novel and practical application of an OpenSim musculoskeletal model that supports the ACL injury mechanism of landing with low knee flexion angles, high muscle forces of the Quadriceps muscles and an external knee valgus moment, though further investigation is needed.
Special Issue on Discovery and Research on Aquatic Microorganisms
Authors: Poli Anna , Prigione Valeria
Published: December 2021

The Special Issue entitled “Discovery and Research on Aquatic Microorganisms” wished to improve our knowledge on microorganisms living in aquatic environments [...]
Resin-Based Cement Applied to Enamel and Dentin Pre-Treated with Phytic Acid: An In Vitro Study
Authors: Nassar Mohannad , Islam Md. Sofiqul , A C Smriti Aryal , El-Damanhoury Hatem Mostafa , Sauro Salvatore , Hiraishi Noriko
Published: December 2021

Phytic acid (IP6) has the ability to etch tooth structure due to its acidity and chelating properties. This study aimed to evaluate the micro-tensile bond strength (μTBS) of resin-based cement to enamel and dentin using manufacturer-provided etchants, phosphoric acid (PA) for enamel and a mixture of 10% citric acid and 3% ferric chloride (CAF) for dentin and compare them to IP6. Enamel surfaces were etched for 30 s with either PA or IP6 (1%, 5% or 10%). Dentin surfaces were etched for 15 s with either CAF or 1% IP6. Pre-polymerized composite blocks were bonded to enamel and dentin surfaces. After 24 h, the specimens were sectioned into beams and subjected to μTBS testing. De-bonded specimens and smear layer removal were analyzed with a scanning electron microscope. Etching enamel with 1% and 5% IP6 resulted in μTBS values that are comparable to the control (PA) (p > 0.05), while 10% IP6 negatively affected the μTBS (p < 0.05). The μTBS to dentin etched with 1% IP6 was higher compared to the control (CAF) (p = 0.001). IP6 effectively removed enamel and dentin smear layer, and at specific concentrations, it may be a suitable alternative conditioner agent for bonding resin-based cement to enamel and dentin.
Research and Innovation Supporting the European Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy: A Technology Perspective from Recent European Union Projects
Authors: Gkoumas Konstantinos , Marques dos Santos Fabio Luis , Stepniak Marcin , Pekár Ferenc
Published: December 2021

Many concepts and innovations aim to improve transport and mobility, while helping to decrease the externalities that transport imposes on society. Research and innovation monitoring tools are important to assess the current state of development so that research funding and policy making efforts can be aligned optimally. This paper presents a comprehensive approach which links technological developments in the transport sector in Europe to the objectives of the most recent policy developments, in particular, the 2020 European Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy. It does so by identifying and evaluating technologies from European Union-funded projects between 2007 and 2020, by means of a technology taxonomy. Information is provided at an aggregated level on funding characteristics of both projects and the technologies, while at the same time, the level of maturity of researched technologies in the most recent projects is identified. This study can aid policy makers to support the future development of transport technologies as part of pertinent policy strategies and identify research gaps.
Control of EMI in High-Technology Nano Fab by Exploitation Power Transmission Method with Ideal Permutation
Authors: Song Yu-Lin , Reddy Manoj Kumar , Lin Hung-Yi , Chang Luh-Maan
Published: December 2021

There are many high-power electrical cables around and within semiconductor foundries. These cables are the source of extremely low-frequency (ELF < 300 Hz) magnetic fields that affect the tools which operate by the function of electronic beams. Miss operation (MO) happens because the ELF magnetic fields induce beam shift during the measurement or process for cutting-edge chips below 40 nm. We present the optimal permutation of power transmission lines to reduce electromagnetic influence in high-technology nano fabs. In this study, the magnetic field was reduced using a mirror array power cable system, and simulation results predicted the best permutations to decrease the electromagnetic interference (EMI) value to below 0.4 mG in a working space without any shielding. Furthermore, this innovative method will lower the cost of high-technology nano fabs, especially for the 28 nm process. The motivation behind this paper is to find the ideal permutation of power transmission lines with a three-phase, four-cable framework to decrease the EMI in high-technology nano fabs. In this study, the electromagnetic interference was diminished using the ideal-permutation methodology without investing or using additional energy, labor, or apparatus. Moreover, this advanced methodology will help increase the effectiveness and reduce the costs of nano fabs. The mathematical and experimental results of the study are presented with analysis.
Detection of Foreign Materials on Broiler Breast Meat Using a Fusion of Visible Near-Infrared and Short-Wave Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging
Authors: Chung Soo , Yoon Seung-Chul
Published: December 2021

Foreign material (FM) found on a poultry product lowers the quality and safety of the product. We developed a fusion method combining two hyperspectral imaging (HSI) modalities in the visible-near infrared (VNIR) range of 400–1000 nm and the short-wave infrared (SWIR) range of 1000–2500 nm for the detection of FMs on the surface of fresh raw broiler breast fillets. Thirty different types of FMs that could be commonly found in poultry processing plants were used as samples and prepared in two different sizes (5 × 5 mm2 and 2 × 2 mm2). The accuracies of the developed Fusion model for detecting 2 × 2 mm2 pieces of polymer, wood, and metal were 95%, 95%, and 81%, respectively, while the detection accuracies of the Fusion model for detecting 5 × 5 mm2 pieces of polymer, wood, and metal were all 100%. The performance of the Fusion model was higher than the VNIR- and SWIR-based detection models by 18% and 5%, respectively, when F1 scores were compared, and by 38% and 5%, when average detection rates were compared. The study results suggested that the fusion of two HSI modalities could detect FMs more effectively than a single HSI modality.
Essential Features in a Theory of Context for Enabling Artificial General Intelligence
Authors: Kejriwal Mayank
Published: December 2021

Despite recent Artificial Intelligence (AI) advances in narrow task areas such as face recognition and natural language processing, the emergence of general machine intelligence continues to be elusive. Such an AI must overcome several challenges, one of which is the ability to be aware of, and appropriately handle, context. In this article, we argue that context needs to be rigorously treated as a first-class citizen in AI research and discourse for achieving true general machine intelligence. Unfortunately, context is only loosely defined, if at all, within AI research. This article aims to synthesize the myriad pragmatic ways in which context has been used, or implicitly assumed, as a core concept in multiple AI sub-areas, such as representation learning and commonsense reasoning. While not all definitions are equivalent, we systematically identify a set of seven features associated with context in these sub-areas. We argue that such features are necessary for a sufficiently rich theory of context, as applicable to practical domains and applications in AI.
Study on the Law of Harmful Gas Release from Limnoperna fortunei (Dunker 1857) during Maintenance Period of Water Tunnel Based on K-Means Outlier Treatment
Authors: Wang Ruonan , Wang Xiaoling , Li Songmin , Shen Jupeng , Wang Jianping , Liu Changxin , Zheng Yazhi , Chen Yitian , Ding Chaoyuan
Published: December 2021

It is of great significance for air pollution control and personnel safety guarantee to master the release characteristics of harmful gases in the process of Limnoperna fortunei corruption. In view of the lack of research on the environmental pollution caused by the corruption of Limnoperna fortunei, a model experiment was designed to study the three harmful gases of NH3, H2S, and CH4 in the putrid process of Limnoperna fortunei by considering the density of Limnoperna fortunei and the time of leaving water. The results show that: (1) The recognition and processing of outliers based on wavelet decomposition and K-means algorithm can effectively reduce the standard deviation and coefficient of variation of the data set and improve the accuracy of the data set. (2) The variation of NH3 and H2S gas concentrations with the time of water separation satisfies polynomial linear regression (R2 > 99%). (3) At a density of 0.5–7.0 × 104 mussels/m2, the highest concentration of NH3 reached 47.9777–307.9454 mg/m3 with the increase in the density of Limnoperna fortunei and the extension of the time away from water, far exceeding the occupational exposure limit of NH3 of 30 mg/m3, potentially threatening human health and safety. The highest detection value of H2S concentration is 0.1909–5.0946 mg/m3, and the highest detection concentration of CH4 is 0.02%, both of which can be ignored.
A Modified Multi-Winding DC–DC Flyback Converter for Photovoltaic Applications
Authors: Pesce Cristián , Riedemann Javier , Peña Rubén , Degano Michele , Pereda Javier , Villalobos Rodrigo , Maury Camilo , Young Hector , Andrade Iván
Published: December 2021

DC–DC power converters have generated much interest, as they can be used in a wide range of applications. In micro-inverter applications, flyback topologies are a relevant research topic due to their efficiency and simplicity. On the other hand, solar photovoltaic (PV) systems are one of the fastest growing and most promising renewable energy sources in the world. A power electronic converter (either DC/DC or DC/AC) is needed to interface the PV array with the load/grid. In this paper, a modified interleaved-type step-up DC–DC flyback converter is presented for a PV application. The topology is based on a multi-winding flyback converter with N parallel connected inputs and a single output. Each input is supplied by an independent PV module, and a maximum power point tracking algorithm is implemented in each module to maximize solar energy harvesting. A single flyback transformer is used, and it manages only 1/N of the converter rated power, reducing the size of the magnetic core compared to other similar topologies. The design of the magnetic core is also presented in this work. Moreover, the proposed converter includes active snubber networks to increase the efficiency, consisting of a capacitor connected in series with a power switch, to protect the main switches from damaging dv/dt when returning part of the commutation energy back to the source. In this work, the operating principle of the topology is fully described on a mathematical basis, and an efficiency analysis is also included. The converter is simulated and experimentally validated with a 1 kW prototype considering three PV panels. The experimental results are in agreement with the simulations, verifying the feasibility of the proposal.
On Simulating the Propagation and Countermeasures of Hate Speech in Social Networks
Authors: Lopez-Sanchez Maite , Müller Arthur
Published: December 2021

Hate speech expresses prejudice and discrimination based on actual or perceived innate characteristics such as gender, race, religion, ethnicity, colour, national origin, disability or sexual orientation. Research has proven that the amount of hateful messages increases inevitably on online social media. Although hate propagators constitute a tiny minority—with less than 1% participants—they create an unproportionally high amount of hate motivated content. Thus, if not countered properly, hate speech can propagate through the whole society. In this paper we apply agent-based modelling to reproduce how the hate speech phenomenon spreads within social networks. We reuse insights from the research literature to construct and validate a baseline model for the propagation of hate speech. From this, three countermeasures are modelled and simulated to investigate their effectiveness in containing the spread of hatred: Education, deferring hateful content, and cyber activism. Our simulations suggest that: (1) Education consititutes a very successful countermeasure, but it is long term and still cannot eliminate hatred completely; (2) Deferring hateful content has a similar—although lower—positive effect than education, and it has the advantage of being a short-term countermeasure; (3) In our simulations, extreme cyber activism against hatred shows the poorest performance as a countermeasure, since it seems to increase the likelihood of resulting in highly polarised societies.
Development of Detection and Volumetric Methods for the Triceps of the Lower Leg Using Magnetic Resonance Images with Deep Learning
Authors: Asami Yusuke , Yoshimura Takaaki , Manabe Keisuke , Yamada Tomonari , Sugimori Hiroyuki
Published: December 2021

Purpose: A deep learning technique was used to analyze the triceps surae muscle. The devised interpolation method was used to determine muscle’s volume and verify the usefulness of the method. Materials and Methods: Thirty-eight T1-weighted cross-sectional magnetic resonance images of the triceps of the lower leg were divided into three classes, i.e., gastrocnemius lateralis (GL), gastrocnemius medialis (GM), and soleus (SOL), and the regions of interest (ROIs) were manually defined. The supervised images were classified as per each patient. A total of 1199 images were prepared. Six different datasets separated patient-wise were prepared for K-fold cross-validation. A network model of the DeepLabv3+ was used for training. The images generated by the created model were divided as per each patient and classified into each muscle types. The model performance and the interpolation method were evaluated by calculating the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and error rates of the volume of the predicted and interpolated images, respectively. Results: The mean DSCs for the predicted images were >0.81 for GM and SOL and 0.71 for GL. The mean error rates for volume were approximately 11% for GL, SOL, and total error and 23% for GL. DSCs in the interpolated images were >0.8 for all muscles. The mean error rates of volume were <10% for GL, SOL, and total error and 18% for GM. There was no significant difference between the volumes obtained from the supervised images and interpolated images. Conclusions: Using the semantic segmentation of the deep learning technique, the triceps were detected with high accuracy and the interpolation method used in this study to find the volume was useful.
Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Contact Parameters in a Dovetail Type of Blade Root Joints
Authors: Dastani Hadi , Botto Daniele , Glorioso Matteo
Published: December 2021

This paper focuses on the contact characteristics of the blade root joints subjected to the dry friction damping under periodic excitation. The numerical method and experimental procedure are combined to trace the contact behavior in the nonlinear vibration conditions. In experimental procedure, a novel excitation method alongside the accurate measurements is used to determine the frequencies of the blade under different axial loads. In numerical simulations, local behavior of contact areas is investigated using the reduction method as a reliable and fast solver. Subsequently, by using both experimental measurements and numerical outcomes in a developed code, the global stiffness matrix is calculated. This leads to find the normal and tangential stiffness in the contact areas of a dovetail blade root joints. The results indicate that the proposed method can provide an accurate quantitative assessment for investigation the dynamic response of the joints with focusing the contact areas.
Comparative Analysis of Periodontal Pain Using Two Different Orthodontic Techniques, Fixed Multibrackets and Removable Aligners: A Longitudinal Clinical Study with Monthly Follow-Ups for 12 Months
Authors: Alcón Silvia , Curto Adrián , Alvarado Mario , Albaladejo Alberto , Garcovich Daniele , Alvarado-Lorenzo Alfonso
Published: December 2021

The aim of this study was to evaluate the perception of periodontal pain in patients treated with either fixed multibrackets or removable alignment systems with a monthly follow-up over a period of twelve months. Materials and Methods: This longitudinal clinical study comprised a sample of 140 patients (72 women; 68 men) divided into two groups of 70 patients each: the bracket group (BG) with conventional fixed brackets using the MBT technique with a 0.022″ slot and the Invisalign group (IG) with aligners (Invisalign). The visual analog scale (VAS) was used to quantify patient-reported pain. Pain analysis was conducted monthly at 4 (T1), 8 (T2), and 24 h (T3) post-follow-up as well as at 2 (T4), 3 (T5), 4 (T6), 5 (T7), 6 (T8), and 7 days (T9) post-follow-up during the first twelve months after starting orthodontic treatment. Results: Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed between both study groups in the mean pain scores on the visual analog scale (VAS) during the twelve-month follow-up period, except for during the eighth month of treatment. In the first month, the group with conventional brackets reported higher pain scores. From the second month onwards, we observed that patients with aligners described a higher level of pain compared to the group of patients with conventional brackets. In both experimental groups, though at different evaluation periods, we found that the peak of maximum pain occurred between 24 and 48 h (T3–T4) after monthly follow-up appointments; from this point, the pain decreased until reaching minimum values from the fifth day onwards (T7). Conclusions: In the first month of treatment, the patients with conventional fixed multibrackets reported the highest levels of pain compared to those with removable aligners. From the second month on, this trend changed. The patients with removable aligners reported the highest levels of pain. Therefore, the orthodontic system used influenced the perception of pain in patients.
Trends in the Diurnal Temperature Range over the Southern Slope of Central Himalaya: Retrospective and Prospective Evaluation
Authors: Hamal Kalpana , Sharma Shankar , Talchabhadel Rocky , Ali Munawar , Dhital Yam Prasad , Xu Tianli , Dawadi Binod
Published: December 2021

The Diurnal Temperature Range (DTR) profoundly affects human health, agriculture, eco-system, and socioeconomic systems. In this study, we analyzed past and future changes in DTR using gridded Climate Research Unit (CRU) datasets for the years 1950–2020 and an ensemble means of thirteen bias-corrected Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) models under different Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5) scenarios for the rest of the 21st century over the southern slope of Central Himalaya, Nepal. Furthermore, the potential drivers (precipitation and cloud cover) of seasonal and annual DTR were studied using correlation analysis. This study found that the DTR trends generally declined; the highest decrease was observed in the pre-monsoon and winter at a rate of 0.09 °C/decade (p ≤ 0.01). As expected, DTR demonstrated a significant negative correlation with cloudiness and precipitation in all four seasons. Further, the decreased DTR was weakly related to the Sea Surface Temperature variation (SST) in the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans. We found that the projected DTR changes in the future varied from a marginal increase under the SSP1-2.6 (only pre-monsoon) scenario to continued significant decreases under SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5. Insights based on retrospective and prospective evaluation help to understand the long-term evolution of diurnal temperature variations.
Sensitivity of Summertime Convection to Aerosol Loading and Properties in the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Fonseca Ricardo , Francis Diana , Weston Michael , Nelli Narendra , Farah Sufian , Wehbe Youssef , AlHosari Taha , Teixido Oriol , Mohamed Ruqaya
Published: December 2021

The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model is used to investigate convection–aerosol interactions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a summertime convective event. Both an idealized and climatological aerosol distributions are considered. The convection on 14 August 2013 was triggered by the low-level convergence of the cyclonic circulation associated with the Arabian Heat Low (AHL) and the daytime sea-breeze circulation. Numerical experiments reveal a high sensitivity to aerosol properties. In particular, replacing 20% of the rural aerosols by carbonaceous particles has a comparable impact on the surface radiative fluxes to increasing the aerosol loading by a factor of 10. In both cases, the UAE-averaged net shortwave flux is reduced by ~90 W m−2 while the net longwave flux increases by ~51 W m−2. However, when the aerosol composition is changed, WRF generates 20% more precipitation than when the aerosol loading is increased, due to a broader and weaker AHL. The surface downward and upward shortwave and upward longwave radiation fluxes are found to scale linearly with the aerosol loading. An increase in the amount of aerosols also leads to drier conditions and a delay in the onset of convection due to changes in the AHL.
Increased Plasma Soluble PD-1 Concentration Correlates with Disease Progression in Patients with Cancer Treated with Anti-PD-1 Antibodies
Authors: Ohkuma Ryotaro , Ieguchi Katsuaki , Watanabe Makoto , Takayanagi Daisuke , Goshima Tsubasa , Onoue Rie , Hamada Kazuyuki , Kubota Yutaro , Horiike Atsushi , Ishiguro Tomoyuki , Hirasawa Yuya , Ariizumi Hirotsugu , Tsurutani Junji , Yoshimura Kiyoshi , Tsuji Mayumi , Kiuchi Yuji , Kobayashi Shinichi , Tsunoda Takuya , Wada Satoshi
Published: December 2021

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) confer remarkable therapeutic benefits to patients with various cancers. However, many patients are non-responders or develop resistance following an initial response to ICIs. There are no reliable biomarkers to predict the therapeutic effect of ICIs. Therefore, this study investigated the clinical implications of plasma levels of soluble anti-programmed death-1 (sPD-1) in patients with cancer treated with ICIs. In total, 22 patients (13 with non-small-cell lung carcinoma, 8 with gastric cancer, and 1 with bladder cancer) were evaluated for sPD-1 concentration using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for diagnostic and anti-PD-1 antibody analyses. sPD-1 levels were low before the administration of anti-PD-1 antibodies. After two and four cycles of anti-PD-1 antibody therapy, sPD-1 levels significantly increased compared with pretreatment levels (p = 0.0348 vs. 0.0232). We observed an increased rate of change in plasma sPD-1 concentrations after two and four cycles of anti-PD-1 antibody therapy that significantly correlated with tumor size progression (p = 0.024). sPD-1 may be involved in resistance to anti-PD-1 antibody therapy, suggesting that changes in sPD-1 levels can identify primary ICI non-responders early in treatment. Detailed analysis of each cancer type revealed the potential of sPD-1 as a predictive biomarker of response to ICI treatment in patients with cancer.
Towards-Person Vocalization Effect on Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Context of Frustration
Authors: Feng Min , Zhai Mengyao , Xu Juncai , Ding Ning , Qiu Nana , Shao Huan , Jin Peiying , Ke Xiaoyan
Published: December 2021

The purpose of this study is to investigate the vocalization characteristics of infants with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the context of frustration. The duration and frequency of vocalization in 48 infants with ASD and 65 infants with typical development (TD) were followed up to 24 months later for subsequent diagnosis. The typical vocalizations of infants with ASD were retrospectively analyzed, such as speech-like vocalizations, nonspeech vocalizations, vocalizations towards the person and non-social vocalizations. The results showed that, compared with the TD group, vocalizations of infants with ASD during the still-face period had lower typical vocalizations and characteristics associated with social intention, and that these characteristics were closely related to the clinical symptoms of ASD, among which vocalizations towards the person accompanied by social intention had discriminative efficacy.
Innovative Behavior in the Workplace: An Empirical Study of Moderated Mediation Model of Self-Efficacy, Perceived Organizational Support, and Leader–Member Exchange
Authors: Choi Woo-Sung , Kang Seung-Wan , Choi Suk Bong
Published: December 2021

Recently, most organizations, from for-profit organizations to nonprofit organizations, are facing a rapidly changing environment and increased uncertainty. Organizational performance now depends on quickly responding and overcoming change through employees’ innovative behavior. As the importance of innovative behavior has been highlighted, many organizations are looking for effective ways to encourage employees to adopt innovative behavior. From the resource perspective, innovative behavior can be regarded as high-intensity job demand, and organizations should support innovative behavior by providing and managing employees’ resources. Based on the conservation of resource perspective, this study attempted to empirically explore how self-efficacy and perceived organizational support affect the relationship between leader–member exchange (LMX) and innovative behavior. Using two-wave, time-lagged survey data from 337 employees in South Korea, we found that leader–member exchange enhances innovative behavior via the mediation of self-efficacy. Additionally, perceived organizational support positively moderates the relationship between leader–member exchange and self-efficacy. Our findings demonstrate that self-efficacy is a mediating mechanism in the relationship between leader–member exchange and innovative behavior. Furthermore, this study suggests that the higher the level of perceived organizational support, the greater the effect of leader–member exchange on innovative behavior affected by self-efficacy.
Novel Methodology for Sizing a Single U-Tube Ground Heat Exchanger Useful at the Early Design Stage
Authors: Baek Seung-Hyo , Lee Byung-Hee , Yeo Myoung-Souk
Published: December 2021

Renewable energy system (RES) is an environmentally friendly source of energy. A suitable design of RES is crucial to implement an energy-efficient building such as a zero energy building (ZEB). The significance of appropriate decision-making for the successful implementation of energy-efficient buildings has been increasing. In addition, the identification of the sizing of RES is equally important for architects or HVAC engineers. In this study, a novel sizing method for a single U-tube ground heat exchanger (GHE) is proposed. A transient thermal analysis for a single GHE is performed by considering ground temperature recovery effect as well as other major design parameters. The results are used to design the proposed sizing method and were verified by transient simulations for different design cases. Additionally, it was observed that the coefficient of variation of root mean square error (CV(RMSE)) for all ten design cases was lower than 15% during the heating and cooling seasons. Thus, the proposed design method can be used for sizing a GHE in the early design stage.
Carnitine Palmitoyltransferase 1 Regulates Prostate Cancer Growth under Hypoxia
Authors: Rios-Colon Leslimar , Kumar Pawan , Kim Susy , Sharma Mitu , Su Yixin , Kumar Ashish , Singh Sangeeta , Stocks Nalexus , Liu Liang , Joshi Molishree , Schlaepfer Isabel R. , Kumar Deepak , Deep Gagan
Published: December 2021

Hypoxia and hypoxia-related biomarkers are the major determinants of prostate cancer (PCa) aggressiveness. Therefore, a better understanding of molecular players involved in PCa cell survival under hypoxia could offer novel therapeutic targets. We previously reported a central role of mitochondrial protein carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT1A) in PCa progression, but its role in regulating PCa survival under hypoxia remains unknown. Here, we employed PCa cells (22Rv1 and MDA-PCa-2b) with knockdown or overexpression of CPT1A and assessed their survival under hypoxia, both in cell culture and in vivo models. The results showed that CPT1A knockdown in PCa cells significantly reduced their viability, clonogenicity, and sphere formation under hypoxia, while its overexpression increased their proliferation, clonogenicity, and sphere formation. In nude mice, 22Rv1 xenografts with CPT1A knockdown grew significantly slower compared to vector control cells (~59% reduction in tumor volume at day 29). On the contrary, CPT1A-overexpressing 22Rv1 xenografts showed higher tumor growth compared to vector control cells (~58% higher tumor volume at day 40). Pathological analyses revealed lesser necrotic areas in CPT1A knockdown tumors and higher necrotic areas in CPT1A overexpressing tumors. Immunofluorescence analysis of tumors showed that CPT1A knockdown strongly compromised the hypoxic areas (pimonidazole+), while CPT1A overexpression resulted in more hypoxia areas with strong expression of proliferation biomarkers (Ki67 and cyclin D1). Finally, IHC analysis of tumors revealed a significant decrease in VEGF or VEGF-D expression but without significant changes in biomarkers associated with microvessel density. These results suggest that CPT1A regulates PCa survival in hypoxic conditions and might contribute to their aggressiveness.
Expression and Impact of C1GalT1 in Cancer Development and Progression
Authors: Wan Yangu , Yu Lu-Gang
Published: December 2021

C1GalT1 (T-synthase) is one of the key glycosyltransferases in the biosynthesis of O-linked mucin-type glycans of glycoproteins. It controls the formation of Core-1 disaccharide Galβ1,3GalNAcα- (Thomsen–Friedenreich oncofetal antigen, T or TF antigen) and Core-1-associated carbohydrate structures. Recent studies have shown that C1GalT1 is overexpressed in many cancers of epithelial origin including colon, breast, gastric, head and neck, pancreatic, esophageal, prostate, and hepatocellular cancer. Overexpression of C1GalT1 is often seen to also be associated with poorer prognosis and poorer patient survival. Change of C1GalT1 expression causes glycosylation changes of many cell membrane glycoproteins including mucin proteins, growth factor receptors, adhesion molecules, and death receptors. This leads to alteration of the interactions of these cell surface molecules with their binding ligands, resulting in changes of cancer cell activity and behaviors. This review summarizes our current understanding of the expression of C1GalT1 in various cancers and discusses the impact of C1GalT change on cancer cell activities in cancer development and progression.
CRISPR-to-Kill (C2K)–Employing the Bacterial Immune System to Kill Cancer Cells
Authors: Głów Dawid , Maire Cecile , Schwarze Lea , Lamszus Katrin , Fehse Boris
Published: December 2021

CRISPR/Cas9 was described as a bacterial immune system that uses targeted introduction of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) to destroy invaders. We hypothesized that we can analogously employ CRISPR/Cas9 nucleases to kill cancer cells by inducing maximal numbers of DSBs in their genome and thus triggering programmed cell death. To do so, we generated CRISPR-to-kill (C2K) lentiviral particles targeting highly repetitive Short Interspersed Nuclear Element-Alu sequences. Our Alu-specific sgRNA has more than 15,000 perfectly matched target sites within the human genome. C2K-Alu-vectors selectively killed human, but not murine cell lines. More importantly, they efficiently inhibited the growth of cancer cells including patient-derived glioblastoma cell lines resistant to high-dose irradiation. Our data provide proof-of-concept for the potential of C2K as a novel treatment strategy overcoming common resistance mechanisms. In combination with tumor-targeting approaches, the C2K system might therefore represent a promising tool for cancer gene therapy.
Genomic and Molecular Profiling of Human Papillomavirus Associated Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Treated with Immune Checkpoint Blockade Compared to Survival Outcomes
Authors: Shaikh Hira , McGrath Julie E. , Hughes Brittany , Xiu Joanne , Brodskiy Pavel , Sukari Ammar , Darabi Sourat , Ikpeazu Chukwuemeka , Nabhan Chadi , Korn Wolfgang Michael , Wise-Draper Trisha M.
Published: December 2021

Recurrent/metastatic (R/M) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients overall have a poor prognosis. However, human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated R/M oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is associated with a better prognosis compared to HPV−negative disease. Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is the standard of care for R/M HNSCC. However, whether HPV and its surrogate marker, p16, portend an improved response to ICB remains controversial. We queried the Caris Life Sciences CODEai database for p16+ and p16− HNSCC patients using p16 as a surrogate for HPV. A total of 2905 HNSCC (OPSCC, n = 948) cases were identified. Of those tested for both HPV directly and p16, 32% (251/791) were p16+ and 28% (91/326) were HPV+. The most common mutation in the OPSCC cohort was TP53 (33%), followed by PIK3CA (17%) and KMT2D (10.6%). TP53 mutations were more common in p16− (49%) versus the p16+ group (10%, p < 0.0005). Real-world overall survival (rwOS) was longer in p16+ compared to p16− OPSCC patients, 33.3 vs. 19.1 months (HR = 0.597, p = 0.001), as well as non-oropharyngeal (non-OP) HNSCC patients (34 vs. 17 months, HR 0.551, p = 0.0001). There was no difference in the time on treatment (TOT) (4.2 vs. 2.8 months, HR 0.796, p = 0.221) in ICB-treated p16+ vs. p16− OPSCC groups. However, p16+ non-OP HNSCC patients treated with ICB had higher TOT compared to the p16− group (4.3 vs. 3.3 months, HR 0.632, p = 0.016), suggesting that p16 may be used as a prognostic biomarker in non-OP HNSCC, and further investigation through prospective clinical trials is warranted.