bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring the potential targets of the Abrus cantoniensis Hance in the treatment of hepatitis E based on network pharmacology
Authors: Xu Ziheng , Wang Can , Luan Zuxiang , Zhang Dapei , Dong Baiqing
Published: March 2023

Hepatitis E is a disease of public health significance caused by the cross-species transmission of zoonotic hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection. There are no specific drugs. In this study, network pharmacology was used to reveal the mechanism of treatment of the active constituents of the Abrus cantoniensis Hance on hepatitis E. Based on the previously published representative components of A. cantoniensis Hance, we were screened the active components with OB ≥ 20% and DL ≥ 0.1 in A. cantoniensis Hance based on the TCMSP, predicted the target online through Swiss target prediction, and integrated the hepatitis E target in the GeneCards and DisGenet databases. Then, the core target was screened and the GO and KEGG enrichment and the network of the drug-active-ingredient-disease-pathway-target analysis were performed by the Cytoscape software. There were 11,046 hepatitis E targets, including PI3K-AKt, SRC, MAPK, PTPN11, EGFR, STAT1 and so on. The core ingredients include Oleanolic acid, Butin, β-sitosterol, Soyasapogenol E, 5,7-dihydroxy-2-methyl-8-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxychromen-4-one, Stigmasterol, Emodin, Physcion, and Enoxolone. A total of 1,410 GO enrichment results of core targets, including 1,246 biological process, 51 cell composition and 113 molecular function results. KEGG pathway was enriched in 150 related pathways, suggesting that A. cantoniensis Hance acts on cancer signaling pathway, endocrine resistance pathway, PI3K-AKt signaling pathway, MAPK, TNF and other signaling pathway. Through key components such as Oleanolic acid, Butin, β-sitosterol, Stigmasterol, and Enoxolone and other components interferes with AKT1, IL-6 and TNF, and regulates pathway in cancer, PI3K-AKt signaling pathway and MAPK pathway to play a therapeutic role in hepatitis E.
Effects of Panax notoginseng Water Extract on Immune Responses and Digestive Enzymes in White Shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei
Authors: Chen Ya-Ting , Kuo Chia-Ling , Wu Chih-Chung , Liu Chun-Hung , Hsieh Shu-Ling
Published: March 2023

Panax notoginseng (Burk) F. H. Chen is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine commonly used in clinical applications. This study examined the effects of the Panax notoginseng water extract (PNWE) on the immune responses and digestive enzyme activity of Litopenaeus vannamei (L. vannamei). The PNWE (50, 100, and 200 μg (g shrimp)−1) was injected into L. vannamei to analyze the immune response parameters, including the total haemocyte count (THC), granular haemocytes (GC), semi-granular haemocytes (SGC), hialin haemocyte (HC), the respiratory burst (RB), the phagocytic ratio (PR), the phagocytic index (PI), and phenoloxidase (PO). We evaluated the activity of the intestinal digestive enzymes (trypsin, chymotrypsin, amylase, and lipase), the histopathology, and the intestine Vibrio numbers. The results showed that different concentrations of the PNWE significantly increased THC, GC, SGC, PO and RB activity, the PR, and the PI of L. vannamei while reducing the HC. In addition, the PNWE also significantly increased the chymotrypsin, trypsin, and amylase activity of L. vannamei. Furthermore, 50 µg (g shrimp)−1 of PNWE regulated the lipase activity. Additionally, different concentrations of the PNWE significantly reduced the Vibrio numbers in the intestine without damaging the hepatopancreas and intestine tissues. These results indicate that the PNWE improves the immune responses of L. vannamei by increasing the haemocyte count and regulating intestinal digestive enzymes.
Predicting the Area under the Plasma Concentration-Time Curve (AUC) for First Dose Vancomycin Using First-Order Pharmacokinetic Equations
Authors: Sujjavorakul Kritsaporn , Katip Wasan , Kerr Stephen J. , Wacharachaisurapol Noppadol , Puthanakit Thanyawee
Published: March 2023

To treat critically ill patients, early achievement of the target area under the plasma concentration-time curve/minimum inhibitory concentration (AUC/MIC) in the first 24 h is recommended. However, accurately calculating the AUC before steady state is an obstacle to this goal. A first-order pharmacokinetic equation to calculate vancomycin AUC after a first dose of vancomycin has never been studied. We sought to estimate AUC using two first-order pharmacokinetic equations, with different paired concentration time points, and to compare these to the actual first dose vancomycin AUC calculated by the linear-log trapezoid rule as a reference. The equations were validated using two independent intensive first dose vancomycin concentration time data sets, one from 10 adults and another from 14 children with severe infection. The equation with compensation for the alpha distribution phase using a first vancomycin serum concentration from 60 to 90 min and the second concentration from 240 to 300 min after the completed infusion showed good agreement and low bias of calculated AUC, with mean differences <5% and Lin’s correlation coefficient >0.96. Moreover, it gave an excellent correlation with Pearson’s r > 0.96. Estimating the first dose vancomycin AUC calculated using this first-order pharmacokinetic equation is both reliable and reproducible in clinical practice settings.
Effects of Citrus kawachiensis Peel in Frailty-like Model Mice Induced by Low Protein Nutrition Disorders
Authors: Omasa Toshiki , Okuyama Satoshi , Sawamoto Atsushi , Nakajima Mitsunari , Furukawa Yoshiko
Published: March 2023

“Frailty” caused by a decline in physiological reserve capacity, chronic inflammation, and oxidative stress in the elderly has recently become a major social issue. The present study examined the effects of the peel of Citrus kawachiensis (CK), which exhibits anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and pro-neurogenesis activities in frailty-like model mice. Male C57BL/6 mice (15 weeks old) were fed an 18% protein diet (CON), a 2.5% protein diet (PM), and PM mixed with 1% dried CK peel powder for approximately 1 month. Mice were euthanized 2 or 8 days after a single intraperitoneal administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and tissues were dissected. Among peripheral tissues, muscle weight, liver weight, and blood glucose levels were significantly higher in the PM–LPS–CK group than in the PM–LPS group. In the behavioral analysis, locomotive activity was significantly lower in the PM–LPS group than in the PM group. The reduction in locomotive activity in the PM–LPS–CK group was significantly smaller than that in the PM–LPS group. The quantification of microglia in the hippocampal stratum lacunosum-moleculare revealed that increases in the PM–LPS group were significantly suppressed by the dried CK peel powder. Furthermore, the quantification of synaptic vesicle membrane proteins in the hippocampal CA3 region showed down-regulated expression in the PM–LPS group, which was significantly ameliorated by the administration of the dried CK peel powder. Collectively, these results suggest that CK inhibits inflammation and oxidative stress induced by PM and LPS in the central nervous system and peripheral tissue. Therefore, C. kawachiensis is highly effective against “frailty”.
Effect of Chronically Suppressed Plasma Angiotensin II on Regulation of the CYP4A/20-HETE Pathway in the Dahl Salt-Sensitive Rat
Authors: Lukaszewicz Kathleen , Falck John , Lombard Julian
Published: March 2023

In Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) rats, impaired vascular relaxation can be restored by: (1) minipump infusion of a low (sub-pressor) dose of angiotensin II (ANG II) to restore physiological levels of plasma ANG II, (2) inhibition of 20-HETE production, and (3) introgression of a normally functioning renin allele from the Brown Norway rat (SS-13BN consomic rat). Unlike SS rats, SS-13BN rats have normal levels of ANG II on a normal-salt diet and suppressed ANG II on a high-salt (HS) diet. This study tested whether chronically low ANG II levels in SS rats upregulate cytochrome P450-4A (CYP4A) increasing the production of the vasoconstrictor 20-HETE. Although salt-induced suppression of ANG II levels increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) in basilar arteries from SS-13BN rats in previous studies, this study showed no change in vascular 20-HETE levels in response to ANGII suppression. CYP4A inhibition significantly reduced vascular ROS levels and restored endothelium-dependent relaxation in response to acetylcholine in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) of SS rats and HS-fed SS-13BN rats. These data demonstrate that both the renin–angiotensin system and the CYP4A/20-HETE pathway play a direct role in the vascular dysfunction of the Dahl SS rat but are independent of each other, even though they may both contribute to vascular dysfunction through ROS production.
Antioxidant Activity as an Indicator of the Efficiency of Plant Extract-Mediated Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles
Authors: Vera Joelis , Herrera Wence , Hermosilla Edward , Díaz Marcela , Parada Javiera , Seabra Amedea B. , Tortella Gonzalo , Pesenti Héctor , Ciudad Gustavo , Rubilar Olga
Published: March 2023

The green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) using a diverse range of plant species has been extensively reported. Despite the success achieved by biogenic synthesis, there are problems with the control and prediction of the properties of ZnO NPs, due to phytochemical diversity between plant species. In this sense, the main objective of our work was to investigate the effect of the antioxidant activity (AA) of plant extracts on the physicochemical characteristics of ZnO NPs (production yield, chemical composition, polydispersity index (PDI), surface charge (ζ-potential) and average particle size). In order to accomplish this objective, four plant extract with different antioxidant activities were used: Galega officinalis, Buddleja globosa, Eucalyptus globulus, and Aristotelia chilensis. Phytochemical screening, quantitative analysis of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity determination of the different extracts were carried out. Chemical species such as catechin, malvidin, quercetin, caffeic acid, and ellagic acid were the dominant components, found in the extracts studied. The A. chilensis extract showed the highest value of total phenolic compounds (TPC) and AA, followed by E. globulus, B. globosa and G. officinalis. Zetasizer, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) data show that plant extracts with lower AA leads to a decrease in the yield of ZnO NPs and an increase in the amount of residual organic extract that remains on the particles. The latter caused an increase in the average particle size, PDI and ζ-potential as a consequence of agglomeration and particle coarsening. Our result suggest that it is possible to use the AA as an indicator of the potential reducing capacity of plant extracts. In this way it is possible to guarantee the reproducibility of the synthesis process as well as ensure the formation of ZnO NPs with desired characteristics.
Research on Transmission Task Static Allocation Based on Intelligence Algorithm
Authors: Wang Xinzhe , Yao Wenbin
Published: March 2023

Transmission task static allocation (TTSA) is one of the most important issues in the automatic management of radio and television stations. Different transmission tasks are allocated to the most suitable transmission equipment to achieve the overall optimal transmission effect. This study proposes a TTSA mathematical model suitable for solving multiple intelligent algorithms, with the goal of achieving the highest comprehensive evaluation value, and conducts comparative testing of multiple intelligent algorithms. An improved crossover operator is proposed to solve the problem of chromosome conflicts. The operator is applied to improved genetic algorithm (IGA) and hybrid intelligent algorithms. A discrete particle swarm optimization (DPSO) algorithm is proposed, which redefines the particle position, particle movement direction, and particle movement speed for the problem itself. A particle movement update strategy based on a probability selection model is designed to ensure the search range of the DPSO, and random perturbation is designed to improve the diversity of the population. Based on simulation, comparative experiments were conducted on the proposed intelligent algorithms and the results of three aspects were compared: the success rate, convergence speed, and accuracy of the algorithm. The DPSO has the greatest advantage in solving TTSA.
Multicriteria Analysis of a Solar-Assisted Space Heating Unit with a High-Temperature Heat Pump for the Greek Climate Conditions
Authors: Bellos Evangelos , Lykas Panagiotis , Tsimpoukis Dimitrios , Korres Dimitrios N. , Kitsopoulou Angeliki , Vrachopoulos Michail Gr. , Tzivanidis Christos
Published: March 2023

The goal of this investigation is the thorough analysis and optimization of a solar-assisted heat pump heating unit for covering the space heating demand for a building in Athens, Greece. The novelty of the studied system is the use of a high-temperature heat pump that can operate with radiative terminal units, leading to high thermal comfort standards. The examined system includes flat-plate solar thermal collectors, an insulated thermal storage tank, auxiliary electrical thermal resistance in the tank and a high-temperature heat pump. The economic optimization indicates that the optimal design includes 35 m2 of solar thermal collectors connected with a storage tank of 2 m3 for facing the total heating demand of 6785 kWh. In this case, the life cycle cost was calculated at 22,694 EUR, the seasonal system coefficient of performance at 2.95 and the mean solar thermal efficiency at 31.60%. On the other hand, the multi-objective optimization indicates the optimum design is the selection of 50 m2 of solar field connected to a thermal tank of 3 m3. In this scenario, the life cycle cost was calculated at 24,084 EUR, the seasonal system coefficient of performance at 4.07 and the mean solar thermal efficiency at 25.33%.
Patient and Parental Satisfaction following Orthodontic Treatment with Clear Aligners and Elastodontic Appliances during Mixed Dentition: A Cross-Sectional Case–Control Study
Authors: Dianiskova Simona , Bucci Rosaria , Solazzo Laura , Rongo Roberto , Caruso Sara , Caruso Silvia , Gatto Roberto , Fiasca Fabiana , Valletta Rosa , D’Antò Vincenzo
Published: March 2023

The aim of the current study was to assess patient and parental satisfaction following treatment during mixed dentition with two removable orthodontic devices: elastodontic appliances (EAs) and clear aligners (CAs). Consecutive patients below the age of 12 years who had completed the active phase of EA or CA therapy were recruited. A dedicated written questionnaire divided into four sections was used to measure parental and patient satisfaction regarding treatment experiences and treatment outcomes. The total sample included 56 subjects: 28 belonged to the EA group (7 girls and 21 boys; mean age 11 years); 28 belonged to the CA group (12 girls and 16 boys; mean age 9 years). Patients and parents of both the EA and CA groups were satisfied with the treatment experiences and outcomes. According to parental reporting, EA treatment was significantly more painful than CA therapy (p = 0.003), but this was not confirmed by the patients (p = 0.100). Both parents and patients reported EAs being significantly more difficult to wear than CAs (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively). Functional improvements were reported, including a reduction in grinding sounds in the CA group (p = 0.020) and breathing improvements in the EA group (p = 0.023). According to the parents, school life and social life were significantly improved in the CA group, as compared to the EA group (school life p < 0.001, social life p = 0.001). Finally, parents belonging to the CA group found that their child’s treatment was much shorter than expected (p = 0.003).
Measuring Empathy in Technical Teams to Improve the UX Quality of Innovative Technological Solutions
Authors: Ribeiro Samira e Silva Amaral , Furtado Maria Elizabeth Sucupira , Albuquerque Adriano , Leite Gleidson Sobreira
Published: March 2023

Developing the empathy of a technical team for target users has been a practice to innovate solutions centered on the experience they can provide to their users. However, there are few studies focused on the impact of empathy practices on solution design. In order to contribute to the study of the art regarding the construction of empathy in technical teams to improve the user experience quality in developing technical solutions, this research analyzes the effectiveness of building empathy in technical teams in a case study of the electricity sector, which was based on a process concerning validations with users. The results showed that, in the perception of a group of technicians, there was an improvement in the quality of empathy for their target users and had an impact on the team’s engagement to carry out human-computer interaction practices and, consequently, on the quality of use of the developed solution.
The Application of Mixed Reality in Root Canal Treatment
Authors: Dolega-Dolegowski Damian , Dolega-Dolegowska Magdalena , Pregowska Agnieszka , Malinowski Krzysztof , Proniewska Klaudia
Published: March 2023

The priority of modern dentistry is to keep patients’ teeth for as long as possible. Tooth extraction is a procedure performed as a last resort when conservative methods and endodontic surgery procedures have not brought the expected results. As a consequence, the number of patients in dental offices, who require first and repeated endodontic treatment, is increasing. Thus, the development of new technologies in the medical industry, including microscopy, computer tomography (CT), as well as diode and neodymium-YAG-erbium lasers, enables dentists to increase the percentage of successful treatments. Moreover, mixed reality (MR) is a very new technology, in which the 3D view can help plan or simulate various types of tasks before they will be carried out in real life. In dentistry, 3D holography can be applied to display CT data to plan endodontic treatment. The most important element in effective root canal treatment is the precise imaging of the root canal. The CT scans allow dentists to view the anatomy of the patient’s tooth with much higher precision and understanding than using 2D radiography (RTG-radiographic photo) pictures. Recently, the development of new 3D technologies allows dentists to obtain even more data from existing CT scans. In this paper, the CT scan data were applied to generate patient teeth in 3D and simulate the view of the root canal’s anatomy in MR devices, i.e., Microsoft HoloLens 2. Using DICOM RAW data from the CT exam, we generated a 3D model of the jaw with a tooth. In the next step, the crown of the tooth was removed in a similar way to how a dentist would do this using a dental handpiece. Furthermore, all root canals were cleaned of everything inside. This way we achieved empty tunnels, namely root canals. Finally, we added appropriate lighting, similar to the type of lighting that dentists use. The proposed approach enables to display of the root canals in the same way as during the endodontic procedure using a microscope. It allows for the visualization of the root canal and changing its direction, in which dimensional accuracy is crucial. It turns out that mixed reality can be considered a complementary method to the traditional approach, which reduces the amount of time for the root canal treatment procedure by up to 72.25%, depending on the complexity of the case, and increases its effectiveness. Thus, the mixed reality-based system can be considered an effective tool for planning dental treatment.
Guillain-Barré Syndrome with Incomplete Oculomotor Nerve Palsy after Traumatic Brain Injury: Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Liu Jinsheng , Tang Feng , Chen Xinjun , Li Zhiqiang
Published: March 2023

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a severe peripheral neuroinflammatory demyelinating disease characterized by symmetrical progressive limb weakness, which can be accompanied by cranial nerve and sensory disturbances. There is usually a history of bacterial or viral infection prior to onset. GBS is rarely seen after traumatic brain injury (TBI). We report a case of a 66-year-old male patient who presented with dilated pupils, followed by respiratory failure and symmetrical quadriplegia during a conservative treatment for TBI. He was eventually diagnosed with GBS and was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin, followed by rehabilitation therapy with a good recovery. We summarize previous similar cases and analyze possible causes. It is suggested that the possibility of GBS should be considered when unexplained symptoms occurred in patients with TBI, such as respiratory failure, dilated pupils, and limb weakness.
Parkinson’s Disease, SARS-CoV-2, and Frailty: Is There a Vicious Cycle Related to Hypovitaminosis D?
Authors: Palermo Sara , Stanziano Mario , Nigri Anna , Civilotti Cristina , Celeghin Alessia
Published: March 2023

The literature has long established the association between aging and frailty, with emerging evidence pointing to a relationship between frailty and SARS-CoV-2 contagion. The possible neurological consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection, associated with physical and cognitive frailty, could lead to a worsening of Parkinson’s disease (PD) in infected patients or—more rarely—to an increase in the Parkinsonian symptomatology. A possible link between those clinical pictures could be identified in vitamin D deficiency, while the whole process would appear to be associated with alterations in the microbiota–intestine–brain axis that fall within the α-Synuclein Origin site and Connectome (SOC) model, and allow for the identification of a body-first PD and a brain-first PD. The model of care for this condition must consider intrinsic and extrinsic variables so that care by a multidisciplinary team can be successfully predicted. A multidimensional screening protocol specifically designed to identify people at risk or in the early stages of the disease should begin with the investigation of indices of frailty and microbiota–intestine–brain axis alterations, with a new focus on cases of hypovitaminosis D.
Sustainable Wood-Waste-Based Thermal Insulation Foam for Building Energy Efficiency
Authors: Siciliano Amanda , Zhao Xinpeng , Fedderwitz Rebecca , Ramakrishnan Kishore , Dai Jiaqi , Gong Amy , Zhu J. , Kośny Jan , Hu Liangbing
Published: March 2023

Wood is one of the most abundant biomaterials on Earth, which has been used for centuries in construction applications including furniture, roofing, flooring, and cabinetry. However, wood chips—which are a low-quality and plentiful waste byproduct of lumber milling, woodworking, and shipping operations—have low economic value and complicated disposal methods. In this paper, we propose a strategy for wood chip reuse through the fabrication of bio-based building insulation foam. Through a high-temperature chemical treatment delignification process, we introduced additional small pores within the wood chips, effectively lowering their thermal conductivity, and used them in combination with a binding agent to produce a porous insulation foam. The porous insulation foam achieved a low thermal conductivity of 0.038 W/(m·K) and a high compressive strength of 1.1 MPa (70% strain). These characteristics demonstrate that wood waste can be repurposed into an effective building material, addressing challenges in both waste management and sustainable construction.
Barriers to Undertaking Green Building Projects in Developing Countries: A Turkish Perspective
Authors: Akcay Emre Caner
Published: March 2023

Green buildings (GBs) play an important role in achieving sustainable development goals. However, the implementation of green technologies in building projects has not reached the desired level in developing countries such as Turkey because of barriers stemming from country-related factors as well as factors related to design and construction. The objective of this study was to explore the barriers to undertaking GB projects in Turkey. A questionnaire survey was administered to 116 construction practitioners to analyze the criticality of barriers to GB design and construction in the Turkish construction industry. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were adopted to evaluate the data obtained from the questionnaire survey. The findings suggest that the major barriers that hinder the adoption of GBs in Turkey are higher construction cost, lack of knowledge about GBs, lack of an authorized GB rating system, unavailability of GB materials, and inadequate market demand, whereas longer design time is the least critical barrier. The results of factor analysis indicate that the barriers to undertaking GB projects can be grouped under five “factors”, i.e., cost- and demand-related barriers, market-related barriers, people-related barriers, government-related barriers, and time-related barriers. In light of the results, policy makers and construction practitioners can devise strategies to promote GBs in Turkey, which can also be valid in other developing countries with similar socio-economic conditions.
Mothers with Cancer: An Intersectional Mixed-Methods Study Investigating Role Demands and Perceived Coping Abilities
Authors: Spiropoulos Athina , Deleemans Julie , Beattie Sara , Carlson Linda E.
Published: March 2023

Mothers with cancer report guilt associated with failing to successfully balance their parental roles and cancer. This study utilized a cross-sectional mixed-methods design and intersectional framework to investigate the multiple roles that mothers with cancer assume and their perceived coping ability. Participants included mothers diagnosed with any type or stage of cancer, in treatment or ≤3 years post-treatment, and experiencing cancer-related disability with a dependent child (<18 years, living at home). Participants completed a questionnaire battery, semi-structured interview, and optional focus group. Descriptive statistics, correlations, and thematic inductive analyses are reported. The participants’ (N = 18) mean age was 45 years (SD = 5.50), and 67% were in active treatment. Their role participation (M = 42.74, ±6.21), role satisfaction (M = 43.32, ±5.61), and self-efficacy (M = 43.34, ±5.62) were lower than the general population score of 50. Greater role participation and higher role satisfaction were positively correlated (r = 0.74, p ≤ 0.001). A qualitative analysis revealed that the mothers retained most roles, and that their quality of life depended on their capacity to balance those roles through emotion-focused and problem-focused coping. We developed the intersectional Role Coping as a Mother with Cancer (RCMC) model, which has potential research and clinical utility.
The Association between Early-Onset Diagnosis and Clinical Outcomes in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Basmadjian Robert B. , Chow Kristian , Kim Dayoung , Kenney Matthew , Lukmanji Aysha , O’Sullivan Dylan E. , Xu Yuan , Quan May Lynn , Cheung Winson Y. , Lupichuk Sasha , Brenner Darren R.
Published: March 2023

Early-onset diagnosis, defined by age <40 years, has historically been associated with inferior outcomes in breast cancer. Recent evidence suggests that this association is modified by molecular subtype. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature to synthesize evidence on the association between early-onset diagnosis and clinical outcomes in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Studies comparing the risk of clinical outcomes in non-metastatic TNBC between early-onset patients and later-onset patients (≥40 years) were queried in Medline and EMBASE from inception to February 2023. Separate meta-analyses were performed for breast cancer specific survival (BCSS), overall survival (OS), and disease-free survival (DFS), locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRRFS), distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS), and pathological complete response (pCR). In total, 7581 unique records were identified, and 36 studies satisfied inclusion criteria. The pooled risk of any recurrence was significantly greater in early-onset patients compared to later-onset patients. Better BCSS and OS were observed in early-onset patients relative to later-onset patients aged >60 years. The pooled odds of achieving pCR were significantly higher in early-onset patients. Future studies should evaluate the role of locoregional management of TNBC and the implementation of novel therapies such as PARP inhibitors in real-world settings, and whether they improve outcomes.
Adult and Pediatric Nail Unit Melanoma: Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Authors: Conway Jade , Bellet Jane S. , Rubin Adam I. , Lipner Shari R.
Published: March 2023

Nail unit melanoma (NUM) is an uncommon form of melanoma and is often diagnosed at later stages. Approximately two-thirds of NUMs are present clinically as longitudinal melanonychia, but longitudinal melanonychia has a broad differential diagnosis. Clinical examination and dermoscopy are valuable for identifying nail findings concerning malignancy, but a biopsy with histopathology is necessary to confirm a diagnosis of NUM. Surgical treatment options for NUM include en bloc excision, digit amputation, and Mohs micrographic surgery. Newer treatments for advanced NUM include targeted and immune systemic therapies. NUM in pediatric patients is extremely rare and diagnosis is challenging since both qualitative and quantitative parameters have only been studied in adults. There is currently no consensus on management in children; for less concerning melanonychia, some physicians recommend close follow-up. However, some dermatologists argue that the “wait and see” approach can cause delayed diagnosis. This article serves to enhance the familiarity of NUM by highlighting its etiology, clinical presentations, diagnosis, and treatment options in both adults and children.
Platinum Group Metals: Green Recovery from Spent Auto-Catalysts and Reuse in New Catalysts—A Review
Authors: Grilli Maria Luisa , Slobozeanu Anca Elena , Larosa Claudio , Paneva Daniela , Yakoumis Iakovos , Cherkezova-Zheleva Zara
Published: March 2023

This manuscript reviews the current trends in the recovery of Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) from end-of-life autocatalysts and the aims of the recently funded Marie Sklodowska-Curie Project “Chemistry of Platinum Group Metals-CHemPGM” towards the greening of PGMs recovery processes and the reusing of recovered PGMs for preparation of new catalysts. Together with the analysis of the state of the art recovery of PGMs from spent autocatalysts through pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical routes and the recent trends in reducing their environmental impact, also emerging sustainable and green technologies are analyzed. Particular focus is given on the mechanochemical processing as a promising sustainable route not only for the pretreatment of waste materials but also for direct PGMs leaching. The present review identifies also the trends in catalysts for carbon neutrality and the few recent efforts in developing PGM-based catalysts starting directly from the liquor of the leach solutions of spent catalysts envisaging therefore a possible key to close PGMs loop in a more efficient and sustainable way.
A Comparative Evaluation of Mediastinal Nodal SUVmax and Derived Ratios from 18F-FDG PET/CT Imaging to Predict Nodal Metastases in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: AlRasheedi Maha , Han Sai , Thygesen Helene , Neilson Matt , Hendry Fraser , Alkarn Ahmed , Maclay John D. , Leung Hing Y.
Published: March 2023

18F-FDG positron emission tomography with computed tomography (PET/CT) is a standard imaging modality for the nodal staging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). To improve the accuracy of pre-operative staging, we compare the staging accuracy of mediastinal lymph node (LN) standard uptake values (SUV) with four derived SUV ratios based on the SUV values of primary tumours (TR), the mediastinal blood pool (MR), liver (LR), and nodal size (SR). In 2015–2017, 53 patients (29 women and 24 men, mean age 67.4 years, range 53–87) receiving surgical resection have pre-operative evidence of mediastinal nodal involvement (cN2). Among these, 114 mediastinal nodes are resected and available for correlative PET/CT analysis. cN2 status accuracy is low, with only 32.5% of the cN2 cases confirmed pathologically. Using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses, a SUVmax of N2 LN performs well in predicting the presence of N2 disease (AUC, 0.822). Based on the respective selected thresholds for each ROC curve, normalisation of LN SUVmax to that for mediastinum, liver and tumour improved sensitivities of LN SUVmax from 68% to 81.1–89.2% while maintaining acceptable specificity (68–70.1%). In conclusion, normalised SUV ratios (particularly LR) improve current pre-operative staging performance in detecting mediastinal nodal involvement.
Applications of Depth Minimization of Decision Trees Containing Hypotheses for Multiple-Value Decision Tables
Authors: Azad Mohammad , Moshkov Mikhail
Published: March 2023

In this research, we consider decision trees that incorporate standard queries with one feature per query as well as hypotheses consisting of all features’ values. These decision trees are used to represent knowledge and are comparable to those investigated in exact learning, in which membership queries and equivalence queries are used. As an application, we look into the issue of creating decision trees for two cases: the sorting of a sequence that contains equal elements and multiple-value decision tables which are modified from UCI Machine Learning Repository. We contrast the efficiency of several forms of optimal (considering the parameter depth) decision trees with hypotheses for the aforementioned applications. We also investigate the efficiency of decision trees built by dynamic programming and by an entropy-based greedy method. We discovered that the greedy algorithm produces very similar results compared to the results of dynamic programming algorithms. Therefore, since the dynamic programming algorithms take a long time, we may readily apply the greedy algorithms.
Teacher Mental Health Literacy and Child Development in Australian Primary Schools: A Program Evaluation
Authors: Bowyer Melissa , Fein Erich C. , Krishnamoorthy Govind
Published: March 2023

Primary school teachers play a significant role in the support of children with mental health and developmental concerns, which can be comorbid or share similar symptomology. The literature suggests there is a deficiency in teacher mental health literacy (MHL), indicating that teachers often lack the knowledge and confidence to support childhood mental health. This study evaluated the success of the Mental Health Literacy for Educators Training Program for a subset of Queensland (QLD) primary school teachers, with a focus on the developmental areas of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Speech and Language Disorders, and Sensory Processing Disorders. The aim was to evaluate whether knowledge and confidence improved on training completion and to evaluate the satisfaction of the training. This research used a longitudinal design (pre- and post-training) with a sample of 81 QLD primary school teaching staff over a three-year period (2013–2015). The results showed that knowledge and confidence improved on training completion and were strongly correlated. The satisfaction with training was high and positively correlated with knowledge acquisition and confidence attainment. In respect of complex effects, a moderated mediation model showed that confidence mediated the relationship between satisfaction and knowledge, and years of teaching experience as a moderator had no effect directly on confidence or in producing a conditional indirect effect on knowledge. This study considers limitations such as ceiling effects, participant and self-selection biases, and sample representation, which limits the interpretation of the findings. At last, it also recommends additional longitudinal follow-up periods to assess knowledge maintenance, teacher helping behaviours, and benefits to children as key directions for future research.
Generalized Knowledge Distillation for Unimodal Glioma Segmentation from Multimodal Models
Authors: Xiong Feng , Shen Chuyun , Wang Xiangfeng
Published: March 2023

Gliomas, primary brain tumors arising from glial cells, can be effectively identified using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), a widely employed diagnostic tool in clinical settings. Accurate glioma segmentation, which is crucial for diagnosis and surgical intervention, can be achieved by integrating multiple MRI modalities that offer complementary information. However, limited access to multiple modalities in certain clinical contexts often results in suboptimal performance of glioma segmentation methods. This study introduces a novel generalized knowledge distillation framework designed to transfer multimodal knowledge from a teacher model to a unimodal student model via two distinct distillation strategies: segmentation graph distillation and cascade region attention distillation. The former enables the student to replicate the teacher’s softened output, whereas the latter facilitates extraction and learning of region feature information at various levels within the teacher model. Our evaluation of the proposed distillation strategies using the BraTS 2018 dataset confirms their superior performance in unimodal segmentation contexts compared with existing methods.
A Review on Economic Input-Output Analysis in the Environmental Assessment of Electricity Generation
Authors: Henriques C. Oliveira , Sousa S.
Published: March 2023

This paper aims to review one of the least used, but no less important, approaches in the assessment of the environmental implications of electricity generation: the Economic Input-Output Life Cycle Assessment (EIO-LCA). This methodology is a top-down approach intertwined with the environmental satellite accounts provided by the national statistical office. Through the use of economic input-output (IO) tables and industrial sector-level environmental and energy data, the EIO-LCA analysis allows for broad impact coverage of all sectors directly and indirectly involved with electricity generation. In this study, a brief overview of this methodology and the corresponding assumptions is presented, as well as an updated review of the different applications of the EIO-LCA approach in electricity generation, suggesting a possible classification of the many studies developed in this context. The different ways of overcoming the problem of disaggregation in the electricity sector are also addressed, namely by considering different IO table formats (i.e., symmetric or rectangular tables). This is a particularly relevant feature of our review, as the way in which electricity generation is modeled can result in different calculations of the costs and benefits of environmental policies. In this context, this paper further contributes to the literature by explaining and providing examples of distinct approaches to modeling the electricity sector in IO models on a detailed level.
Decarbonizing the Energy System of Non-Interconnected Islands: The Case of Mayotte
Authors: Flessa Anna , Fragkiadakis Dimitris , Zisarou Eleftheria , Fragkos Panagiotis
Published: March 2023

Islands face unique challenges on their journey towards achieving carbon neutrality by the mid-century, due to the lack of energy interconnections, limited domestic energy resources, extensive fossil fuel dependence, and high load variance requiring new technologies to balance demand and supply. At the same time, these challenges can be turned into a great opportunity for economic growth and the creation of jobs with non-interconnected islands having the potential to become transition frontrunners by adopting sustainable technologies and implementing innovative solutions. This paper uses an advanced energy–economy system modeling tool (IntE3-ISL) accompanied by plausible decarbonization scenarios to assess the medium- and long-term impacts of energy transition on the energy system, emissions, economy, and society of the island of Mayotte. The model-based analysis adequately captures the specificities of Mayotte and examines the complexity, challenges, and opportunities to decarbonize the island’s non-interconnected energy system. The energy transition necessitates the adoption of ambitious climate policy measures and the extensive deployment of low- and zero-carbon technologies both in the demand and supply sides of the energy system, accounting for the unique characteristics of each individual sector, while sectoral integration is also important. To reduce emissions from hard-to-abate sectors, such as transportation and industry, the measures and technologies can include the installation and use of highly efficient equipment, the electrification of end uses (such as the widespread adoption of electric vehicles), the large roll-out of renewable energy sources, as well as the production and use of green hydrogen and synthetic fuels.
Reliability Enhancement of Fast Charging Station under Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Failures and Repairs
Authors: Konara Konara , Kolhe Mohan , Ulltveit-Moe Nils , Balapuwaduge Indika
Published: March 2023

This work focuses on the enhancement of the charging reliability of both scheduled (SEVs) and opportunistic (UEVs) electric vehicle (EV) users in an EV fast charging station (FCS). The proposed charging coordination strategies allow UEVs to exploit unused charging resources to optimally utilize the limited charging resources of FCS. However, the optimum utilization of limited charging resources of an FCS while assuring a reliable charging process for plugged-in EVs under random failures of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) is a real challenge for the FCS controller. When the FCS admits UEVs in addition to SEVs, assuring a satisfactory quality of service to both EV user categories is also dispensable. Therefore, we analyze the performance of reservation of off-board mobile chargers (MOBCs) to enhance the charging reliability of EV users while achieving high charging resource utilization. This work proposes resource allocation and charging coordination strategies for an FCS where MOBCs are used to enhance the charging reliability of both SEVs and UEVs. Moreover, the proposed dynamic charging resource coordination strategies are analyzed with a continuous time Markov-chain (CTMC). The presented results from the CTMC model demonstrate that the proposed strategies outperform the EV charging process of the FCS in terms of high resource utilization and reliability while guaranteeing a satisfactory quality of service to EV users.
Fault Diagnosis of Nuclear Power Plant Based on Sparrow Search Algorithm Optimized CNN-LSTM Neural Network
Authors: Zhang Chunyuan , Chen Pengyu , Jiang Fangling , Xie Jinsen , Yu Tao
Published: March 2023

Nuclear power is a type of clean and green energy; however, there is a risk of radioactive material leakage when accidents occur. When radioactive material leaks from nuclear power plants, it has a great impact on the environment and personnel safety. In order to enhance the safety of nuclear power plants and support the operator’s decisions under accidental circumstances, this paper proposes a fault diagnosis method for nuclear power plants based on the sparrow search algorithm (SSA) optimized by the CNN-LSTM network. Firstly, the convolutional neural network (CNN) was used to extract features from the data before they were then combined with the long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network to process time series data and form a CNN-LSTM model. Some of the parameters in the LSTM neural network need to be manually tuned based on experience, and the settings of these parameters have a great impact on the overall model results. Therefore, this paper selected the sparrow search algorithm with a strong search capability and fast convergence to automatically search for the hand-tuned parameters in the CNN-LSTM model, and finally obtain the SSA-CNN-LSTM model. This model can classify the types of accidents that occur in nuclear power plants to reduce the nuclear safety hazards caused by human error. The experimental data are from a personal computer transient analyzer (PCTRAN). The results show that the classification accuracy of the SSA-CNN-LSTM model for the nuclear power plant fault classification problem is as high as 98.24%, which is 4.80% and 3.14% higher compared with the LSTM neural network and CNN-LSTM model, respectively. The superiority of the sparrow search algorithm for optimizing model parameters and the feasibility and accuracy of the SSA-CNN-LSTM model for nuclear power plant fault diagnosis were verified.
Viable Fully Integrated Energy Community Based on the Holistic LINK Approach
Authors: Ilo Albana , Bruckner Helmut , Olofsgard Markus , Adamcova Marketa , Werner Andrea
Published: March 2023

The EU policymakers have adopted legislation to support communities taking responsibility for the energy transition. However, their development and integration are still in their early stages: many studies are performed without considering the overlapped social, economic, political, electrical, and information technology tasks simultaneously. This paper is the first to look at energy communities in their entirety, from the roles of the actors to the organisation, regulation, technical solution, and the market, to the use and business cases. The waterfall methodology was used throughout the work. The results show that energy communities can be viable by becoming reliable players so DSOs can better integrate the acquired flexibility and other services into their processes without compromising power supply. Their technical integration requires a coordinated operation and control of the entire power grid, including transmission and distribution, and the end-users, as proposed by the LINK holistic solution. The suggested fractal-based market structure, with the national, regional and local markets harmonised with the grid, facilitates the direct participation of small customers and distributed resources to the energy market. The results of this work may help policymakers, regulators, and industry representatives define new energy policies and processes related to research and development programs for implementing fully integrated renewable energy communities.
Spray Cooling Investigation of TiO2–Water Nanofluids on a Hot Surface
Authors: Aksoy Yunus Tansu , Cornelissen Hendrik , Eneren Pinar , Vetrano Maria Rosaria
Published: March 2023

Spray cooling is a heat transfer technology that has already shown its advantages and limitations. There has been increasing interest from academia and industry in combining this technology with nanofluids as coolants, owing to their potential for heat transfer enhancement. Nevertheless, there is a lack of understanding of the physical mechanism leading to this enhancement with the presence of technical problems that prevent the use of nanofluids in spray cooling applications. In this study, we investigate the effect of water-based TiO2 nanofluids on both spray characteristics and heat transfer using an industrial full-cone pneumatic nozzle. For this purpose, three mass concentrations (0.05 wt.%, 0.1 wt.%, and 0.2 wt.%) were prepared and tested. We monitored the droplet sizes and velocity profiles with a particle dynamics analysis system. Moreover, the temporal temperature decrease of a heated aluminum block from 190 to 65 °C was measured via an infrared camera to calculate the heat transfer rate and heat transfer coefficient. The presence of nanoparticles is shown not to substantially alter the spray characteristics. Moreover, heat transfer is augmented mainly in the boiling regime due to more nucleation sites formed by the deposited nanoparticles. However, in the non-boiling regime, the contribution of adsorbed nanoparticles to the heat transfer enhancement diminishes. Overall, the aluminum block is cooled down 6%, 12%, and 25% faster than the DI water by the nanofluids at 0.05 wt.%, 0.1 wt.%, and 0.2 wt.%, respectively, including boiling and non-boiling regimes.