bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of Inflammatory/Immune Response and Cytokine Polymorphisms in the Severity of Chronic Hepatitis C (CHC) before and after Direct Acting Antiviral (DAAs) Treatment
Authors: Ferreira Joana , Oliveira Mariana , Bicho Manuel , Serejo Fátima
Published: January 2023

Host regulatory immune response is involved in the hepatic inflammatory process caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). We aimed to determine if HCV clearance with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) changes the hepatic fibrosis stage, biochemical parameters of liver injury, and inflammatory/immune responses. Sample: 329 chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients, 134 of them treated with DAAs. Liver fibrosis was evaluated by transient elastography (FibroScan), biochemical and cellular parameters were determined by standard methods, cytokine concentration by enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA), and genetic polymorphisms by polymerase chain reaction—restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) or endpoint genotyping. Before DAA treatment, severe fibrosis or cirrhosis (F3/4) was associated with higher values of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and genotypes transforming growth factor-beta-509 C/T_CC (TGF-β-509 C/T_CC), interleukine-10-1082 T/C_CC (IL-10-1082 T/C_CC), and IL-10-592 G/T_GT. After DAA treatment, fewer F3/4 patients and lower values of TNF-α were found. Patients with TNF-α-308 G/A_GG and IL-10-592 G/T_GT were at risk for F3/4. Lack of improvement of liver fibrosis was associated with lower baseline values of platelet count for genotypes TNF-α-308 G/A_GG and haplotype TT/GG of IL-10-1082 T/C and IL-10-592 G/T. Our study showed decreased liver fibrosis/inflammation and normalization of liver injury biomarkers after DAA treatment. It also points to the importance of suppressing the pro-inflammatory response by DAAs in the resolution of hepatitis C, contributing to the improvement of liver damage evaluated by transient elastography.
Impaired Blastocyst Formation in Lnx2-Knockdown Mouse Embryos
Authors: Lee Seung-Jae , Kim Jaehwan , Han Gwidong , Hong Seung-Pyo , Kim Dayeon , Cho Chunghee
Published: January 2023

Ligand of Numb-protein X 2 (LNX2) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that is known to regulate Notch signaling by participating in NUMB protein degradation. Notch signaling is important for differentiation and proliferation in mammals, and plays a significant role in blastocyst formation during early embryonic development. In this study, we investigated Lnx2 in mouse preimplantation embryos. Expression analysis showed that Lnx2 is expressed in oocytes and preimplantation embryos. Lnx2-knockdown embryos normally progress to the morula stage, but the majority of them do not develop into normal blastocysts. Transcript analysis revealed that the expression levels of genes critical for cell lineage specification, including octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4), are increased in Lnx2 knockdown embryos. Furthermore, the expression levels of Notch and Hippo signaling-related genes are also increased by Lnx2 knockdown. Collectively, our results show that Lnx2 is important for blastocyst formation in mice, suggest that this may act via lineage specification of inner cell mass, and further show that Lnx2 may be involved in transcriptionally regulating various genes implicated in early embryonic development.
A Missense Variation in PHACTR2 Associates with Impaired Actin Dynamics, Dilated Cardiomyopathy, and Left Ventricular Non-Compaction in Humans
Authors: Majdalani Pierre , Levitas Aviva , Krymko Hanna , Slanovic Leonel , Braiman Alex , Hadad Uzi , Dabsan Salam , Horev Amir , Zarivach Raz , Parvari Ruti
Published: January 2023

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) with left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC) is a primary myocardial disease leading to contractile dysfunction, progressive heart failure, and excessive risk of sudden cardiac death. Using whole-exome sequencing to investigate a possible genetic cause of DCM with LVNC in a consanguineous child, a homozygous nucleotide change c.1532G>A causing p.Arg511His in PHACTR2 was found. The missense change can affect the binding of PHACTR2 to actin by eliminating the hydrogen bonds between them. The amino acid change does not change PHACTR2 localization to the cytoplasm. The patient’s fibroblasts showed a decreased globular to fibrillary actin ratio compared to the control fibroblasts. The re-polymerization of fibrillary actin after treatment with cytochalasin D, which disrupts the actin filaments, was slower in the patient’s fibroblasts. Finally, the patient’s fibroblasts bridged a scar gap slower than the control fibroblasts because of slower and indirect movement. This is the first report of a human variation in this PHACTR family member. The knock-out mouse model presented no significant phenotype. Our data underscore the importance of PHACTR2 in regulating the monomeric actin pool, the kinetics of actin polymerization, and cell movement, emphasizing the importance of actin regulation for the normal function of the human heart.
Biotechnological Approaches to Producing Natural Antioxidants: Anti-Ageing and Skin Longevity Prospects
Authors: Bouzroud Sarah , El Maaiden Ezzouhra , Sobeh Mansour , Merghoub Nawal , Boukcim Hassan , Kouisni Lamfeddal , El Kharrassi Youssef
Published: January 2023

Plants are the main source of bioactive compounds that can be used for the formulation of cosmetic products. Plant extracts have numerous proven health benefits, among which are anti-ageing and skin-care properties. However, with the increased demand for plant-derived cosmetic products, there is a crucial prerequisite for establishing alternative approaches to conventional methods to ensure sufficient biomass for sustainable production. Plant tissue culture techniques, such as in vitro root cultures, micropropagation, or callogenesis, offer the possibility to produce considerable amounts of bioactive compounds independent of external factors that may influence their production. This production can also be significantly increased with the implementation of other biotechnological approaches such as elicitation, metabolic engineering, precursor and/or nutrient feeding, immobilization, and permeabilization. This work aimed to evaluate the potential of biotechnological tools for producing bioactive compounds, with a focus on bioactive compounds with anti-ageing properties, which can be used for the development of green-label cosmeceutical products. In addition, some examples demonstrating the use of plant tissue culture techniques to produce high-value bioactive ingredients for cosmeceutical applications are also addressed, showing the importance of these tools and approaches for the sustainable production of plant-derived cosmetic products.
Physicochemical Properties of Novel Copolymers of Quaternary Ammonium UDMA Analogues, Bis-GMA, and TEGDMA
Authors: Chrószcz-Porębska Marta W. , Barszczewska-Rybarek Izabela M. , Chladek Grzegorz
Published: January 2023

This study aimed to elucidate the physicochemical properties of copolymers comprising 40 wt.% bisphenol A glycerolate dimethacrylate (Bis-GMA), 40 wt.% quaternary ammonium urethane-dimethacrylate analogues (QAUDMA-m, where m corresponds to the number of carbon atoms in the N-alkyl substituent), and 20 wt.% triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) copolymers (BG:QAm:TEGs). The BG:QAm:TEG liquid monomer compositions and reference compositions (40 wt.% Bis-GMA, 40 wt.% urethane-dimethacrylate (UDMA), 20 wt.% TEGDMA (BG:UD:TEG) and 60 wt.% Bis-GMA, 40 wt.% TEGDMA (BG:TEG)) were characterized in terms of their refractive index (RI) and monomer glass transition temperature (Tgm) and then photocured. The resulting copolymers were characterized in terms of the polymer glass transition temperature (Tgp), experimental polymerization shrinkage (Se), water contact angle (WCA), water sorption (WS), and water solubility (SL). The prepared BG:QAm:TEG liquid monomer compositions had RI in the range 1.4997–1.5129, and Tgm in the range −52.22 to −42.12 °C. The BG:QAm:TEG copolymers had Tgp ranging from 42.21 to 50.81 °C, Se ranging from 5.08 to 6.40%, WCA ranging from 81.41 to 99.53°, WS ranging from 25.94 to 68.27 µg/mm3, and SL ranging from 5.15 to 5.58 µg/mm3. Almost all of the developed BG:QAm:TEGs fulfilled the requirements for dental materials (except BG:QA8:TEG and BG:QA10:TEG, whose WS values exceeded the 40 µg/mm3 limit).
Fabrication of Activated Carbon Decorated with ZnO Nanorod-Based Electrodes for Desalination of Brackish Water Using Capacitive Deionization Technology
Authors: Martinez Jhonatan , Colán Martín , Castillón Ronald , Ramos Pierre G. , Paria Robert , Sánchez Luis , Rodríguez Juan M.
Published: January 2023

Capacitive deionization (CDI) is a promising and cost-effective technology that is currently being widely explored for removing dissolved ions from saline water. This research developed materials based on activated carbon (AC) materials modified with zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods and used them as high-performance CDI electrodes for water desalination. The as-prepared electrodes were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, and their physical properties were studied through SEM and XRD. ZnO-coated AC electrodes revealed a better specific absorption capacity (SAC) and an average salt adsorption rate (ASAR) compared to pristine AC, specifically with values of 123.66 mg/g and 5.06 mg/g/min, respectively. The desalination process was conducted using a 0.4 M sodium chloride (NaCl) solution with flow rates from 45 mL/min to 105 mL/min under an applied potential of 1.2 V. Furthermore, the energy efficiency of the desalination process, the specific energy consumption (SEC), and the maximum and minimum of the effluent solution concentration were quantified using thermodynamic energy efficiency (TEE). Finally, this work suggested that AC/ZnO material has the potential to be utilized as a CDI electrode for the desalination of saline water.
Antioxidant Activity, Stability in Aqueous Medium and Molecular Docking/Dynamics Study of 6-Amino- and N-Methyl-6-amino-L-ascorbic Acid
Authors: Saftić Martinović Lara , Birkic Nada , Miletić Vedran , Antolović Roberto , Štanfel Danijela , Wittine Karlo
Published: January 2023

The antioxidant activity and chemical stability of 6-amino-6-deoxy-L-ascorbic acid (D1) and N-methyl-6-amino-6-deoxy-L-ascorbic acid (D2) were examined with ABTS and DPPH assays and compared with the reference L-ascorbic acid (AA). In addition, the optimal storing conditions, as well as the pH at which the amino derivatives maintain stability, were determined using mass spectrometry. Comparable antioxidant activities were observed for NH-bioisosteres and AA. Moreover, D1 showed higher stability in an acidic medium than the parent AA. In addition, AA, D1, and D2 share the same docking profile, with wild-type human peroxiredoxin as a model system. Their docking scores are similar to those of dithiothreitol (DTT). This suggests a similar binding affinity to the human peroxiredoxin binding site.
Antibody Profiling and In Silico Functional Analysis of Differentially Reactive Antibody Signatures of Glioblastomas and Meningiomas
Authors: Milchram Lisa , Kulovics Ronald , Sonntagbauer Markus , Schönthaler Silvia , Vierlinger Klemens , Dorfer Christian , Cameron Charles , Saydam Okay , Weinhäusel Andreas
Published: January 2023

Studies on tumor-associated antigens in brain tumors are sparse. There is scope for enhancing our understanding of molecular pathology, in order to improve on existing forms, and discover new forms, of treatment, which could be particularly relevant to immuno-oncological strategies. To elucidate immunological differences, and to provide another level of biological information, we performed antibody profiling, based on a high-density protein array (containing 8173 human transcripts), using IgG isolated from the sera of n = 12 preoperative and n = 16 postoperative glioblastomas, n = 26 preoperative and n = 29 postoperative meningiomas, and n = 27 healthy, cancer-free controls. Differentially reactive antigens were compared to gene expression data from an alternate public GBM data set from OncoDB, and were analyzed using the Reactome pathway browser. Protein array analysis identified approximately 350–800 differentially reactive antigens, and revealed different antigen profiles in the glioblastomas and meningiomas, with approximately 20–30%-similar and 10–15%-similar antigens in preoperative and postoperative sera, respectively. Seroreactivity did not correlate with OncoDB-derived gene expression. Antigens in the preoperative glioblastoma sera were enriched for signaling pathways, such as signaling by Rho-GTPases, COPI-mediated anterograde transport and vesicle-mediated transport, while the infectious disease, SRP-dependent membrane targeting cotranslational proteins were enriched in the meningiomas. The pre-vs. postoperative seroreactivity in the glioblastomas was enriched for antigens, e.g., platelet degranulation and metabolism of lipid pathways; in the meningiomas, the antigens were enriched in infectious diseases, metabolism of amino acids and derivatives, and cell cycle. Antibody profiling in both tumor entities elucidated several hundred antigens and characteristic signaling pathways that may provide new insights into molecular pathology and may be of interest for the development of new treatment strategies.
α-Synuclein Induces Neuroinflammation Injury through the IL6ST-AS/STAT3/HIF-1α Axis
Authors: Lin Danyu , Zhang Han , Zhang Jieli , Huang Kaixun , Chen Ying , Jing Xiuna , Tao Enxiang
Published: January 2023

The aggregation of α-synuclein (α-syn) promotes neuroinflammation and neuronal apoptosis, which eventually contribute to the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Our microarray analysis and experimental data indicated a significant expression difference of the long noncoding RNA IL6ST-AS and its anti-sense strand, IL6ST, in α-synuclein-induced microglia, compared with unstimulated microglia. IL6ST is a key component of the IL6R/IL6ST complex in the microglial membrane, which recognizes extracellular inflammatory factors, such as IL6. Studies have shown that the binding of IL6 to the IL6R/IL6ST complex could activate the JAK2-STAT3 pathway and promote an excessive immune response in glia cells. Meanwhile, the phosphorylation and activation of STAT3 could increase the transcription of HIF1A, encoding a hypoxia-inducible factor related to cytotoxic damage. Our results indicated that the overexpression of IL6ST-AS induced by exogenous α-synuclein could inhibit the expression of IL6ST and the activation of JAK2-STAT3 pathway in HMC3 cells. In addition, a reduction in STAT3 resulted in the transcription inhibition of HIF1A and the acceleration of oxidative stress injury in SH-SY5Y cells co-cultured with α-synuclein-induced HMC3 cells. Our findings indicate that IL6ST-AS is an important factor that regulates microglia activation and neuronal necrosis in the progression of PD. In the HMC3 and SH-SY5Y cell co-culture system, the overexpression of IL6ST-AS led to microglial dysfunction and neurotoxicology through the IL6ST-AS/STAT3/HIF-1α axis. Our research revealed the relationships among α-synuclein, IL6ST, STAT3, and HIF-1α in the pathological process of PD and provided a new inflammation hypothesis for the pathogenesis of PD.
Effect of Radial-Shear Rolling on the Structure and Hardening of an Al–8%Zn–3.3%Mg–0.8%Ca–1.1%Fe Alloy Manufactured by Electromagnetic Casting
Authors: Gamin Yury V. , Belov Nikolay A. , Akopyan Torgom K. , Timofeev Victor N. , Cherkasov Stanislav O. , Motkov Mikhail M.
Published: January 2023

Aluminum alloys are one of the most common structural materials. To improve the mechanical properties, an alloy of the Al–Zn–Mg–Ca–Fe system was proposed. In this alloy, when Fe and Ca are added, compact particles of the Al10CaFe2 compound are formed, which significantly reduces the negative effect of Fe on the mechanical properties. Because of the high solidification rate (about 600 K/s) during cylindrical ingot (~33 mm) production, the electromagnetic casting method (ECM) makes it possible to obtain a highly dispersed structure in the cast state. The size of the dendritic cell is ~7 μm, while the entire amount of Fe is bound into eutectic inclusions of the Al10CaFe2 phase with an average size of less than 3 μm. In this study, the effect of radial shear rolling (RSR) on the formation of the structure and hardening of the Al–8%Zn–3.3%Mg–0.8%Ca–1.1%Fe alloy obtained by EMC was studied. Computer simulation of the RSR process made it possible to analyze the temperature and stress–strain state of the alloy and to select the optimal rolling modes. It was shown that the flow features during RSR and the severe shear strains near the surface of the rod (10 mm) provided a refining and decrease in the size of the initial Fe-containing particles.
Two-Steps Method to Prepare Multilayer Sandwich Structure Carbon Fiber Composite with Thermal and Electrical Anisotropy and Electromagnetic Interference Shielding
Authors: Zhang Chuanqi , Bi Lansen , Shi Song , Wang Huanhuan , Zhang Da , He Yan , Li Wei
Published: January 2023

Carbon fiber (CF) composites performance enhancement is a research hotspot at present. In this work, first, a sandwich structure composite, CF@(carbon nanotube/Fe3O4)/epoxy (CF@(CNT/Fe3O4)/EP), is prepared by the free arc dispersion-CFs surface spraying-rolling process method, herein, CFs in the middle layer and (CNT/Fe3O4)/EP as top and substrate layer. Then, CF@(CNT/Fe3O4)/EP (on both sides) and CFs (in the middle) are overlapped by structure design, forming a multilayer CF@(CNT/Fe3O4)/EP-CFs composite with a CFs core sheath. A small amount of CNT/Fe3O4 is consumed, (CNT/Fe3O4)/EP and CFs core sheath realize thermal and electrical anisotropy and directional enhancement, and multilayer sandwich structure makes the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance better strengthened by multiple absorption–reflection/penetration–reabsorption. From CF-0 to CF-8, CNT/Fe3O4 content only increases by 0.045 wt%, axial thermal conductivity (λ‖) increases from 0.59 W/(m·K) to 1.1 W/(m·K), growth rate is 86%, radial thermal conductivity (λ⊥) only increases by 0.05 W/(m·K), the maximum λ‖/λ⊥ is 2.9, axial electrical conductivity (σ‖) increases from 6.2 S/cm to 7.7 S/cm, growth rate is 24%, radial electrical conductivity (σ⊥) only increases by 0.7 × 10−4 S/cm, the total EMI shielding effectiveness (EMI SET) increases by 196%, from 10.3 dB to 30.5 dB. This provides a new idea for enhancing CFs composite properties.
Insight into the Physical Properties of Fluoro-Perovskites Compounds of Tl-Based TlMF3 (M = Au, Ga) Compounds Studied for Energy Generation Utilizing the TB-MBJ Potential Approximation Approach
Authors: Khan Hukam , Sohail Mohammad , Arif Muhammad Shoaib , Abodayeh Kamaleldin
Published: January 2023

Fluoro-perovskites compounds based on the Tl element TlMF3 (M = Au, Ga) were examined computationally, and their different aspects, studied utilizing TB-mBJ potential approximations, can be used for the generation of energy because of their ever-increasing power conversion efficiency. Birch Murnaghan’s graph and tolerance factor show that these composites are structurally cubic and stable. The optimum volume of the compounds corresponding to the optimum energies and the optimized lattice constants were computed. The algorithm IRelast was used to predict the elastic information, and these results demonstrated that the presented compounds are stable mechanically and show anisotropic and ductile properties. TlAuF3 and TlGaF3 have an indirect band energy gap at (M-X) positions, with a forbidden energy gap of −0.55 eV for TlAuF3 and 0.46 eV for TlGaF3. The compounds show a metallic nature due to a small indirect band gap. Different component states corresponding to the upper and lower bands of the Fermi energy level are influenced by the total density in the different states and the density in various directions (TDOS & PDOS). These composites exhibit strong absorption, conductivity, and reflective coefficients at higher energy series together with a low refractive index, given by an inquiry into optical properties. The applications of these composites are thought to be good for conduction purposes in industries due to the indirect band gap. For the first time, computational analysis of these novel compounds offers a thorough understanding of their many characteristics.
Influence of Microstructure and Alloy Composition on the Machinability of α/β Titanium Alloys
Authors: Shehata Mostafa M. , El-Hadad Shimaa , Sherif Mahmoud , Ibrahim Khaled M. , Farahat Ahmed I. Z. , Attia Helmi
Published: January 2023

A comparative study was conducted for the machining of two α/β titanium alloys, namely Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64) and Ti-6Al-7Nb (Ti67), using wire electric discharge machining (WEDM). The influence of cutting speed and cutting mode on the machined surfaces in terms of surface roughness (Ra), recast layer (RL), and micro-hardness have been evaluated. Rough cut (RC) mode at a cutting speed of 50 µm/s resulted in thermal damage; Ra was equal to 5.68 ± 0.44 and 4.52 ± 0.35 µm for Ti64 and Ti67, respectively. Trim-cut mode using seven cuts (TRC-VII) at the same speed decreased the Ra to 1.02 ± 0.20 µm for Ti64 and 0.92 ± 0.10 µm for Ti67. At 100 µm/s, Ra reduced from 2.34 ± 0.28 µm to 0.88 ± 0.12 µm (Ti64), and from 1.42 ± 0.15 µm to 0.90 ± 0.08µm (Ti67) upon changing from TRC-III to TRC-VII. Furthermore, a thick recast layer of 30 ± 0.93 µm for Ti64 and 14 ± 0.68 µm for Ti67 was produced using the rough mode, while TRC-III and TRC-VII modes produced layers of 12 ± 1.31 µm and 5 ± 0.72 µm for Ti64 and Ti67, respectively. Moreover, rough cut and trim cut modes of WEDM played a significant role in promoting the surface hardness of Ti64 and Ti67. By employing the Response Surface Methodology, it was found that the machining mode followed by cutting speed and the interaction between them are the most influential parameters on surface roughness. Finally, mathematical models correlating machining parameters to surface roughness were successfully developed. The results strongly promote the trim-cut mode of WEDM as a promising machining route for two-phase titanium alloys.
Impact of Metal Nanoparticles on the Phytochemical and Antioxidative Properties of Rapeseed Oil
Authors: Kachel Magdalena , Stryjecka Małgorzata , Ślusarczyk Lidia , Matwijczuk Arkadiusz , Budziak-Wieczorek Iwona , Gładyszewski Grzegorz
Published: January 2023

The agricultural uses of nanoparticles continue to be considered as innovative methods that require more in-depth research into their impact on product quality. In our study, we investigated the effects of fertilizers containing metal nanoparticles (silver AgNPs and copper CuNPs) during the plant growth stage of winter rape cultivation, and in most experimental variants, with the exception of the (x2) application of AgNPs, we observed a decrease in the mass of one thousand seeds (MTS). The obtained result was 11.55% higher relative to the control sample in 2019, and also increased after the (x1) 4.36% and (x2) 11.11% application of CuNPS in 2020. The analyzed oxidative stability of the oil increased in both experimental years (2019–2020), with the highest values recorded after the (x1) and (x2) application of CuNPS—4.94% and 8.31%, respectively, in the first year of cultivation, and after the (x2) application of CuNPS—12.07% in the subsequent year. It was also observed that the content of polyphenols, flavonoids, squalene, tocopherols α and δ, chlorophylls, and carotenoids increased in the oil. Moreover, spectral FTIR analysis was performed on the oil samples obtained from cultivations sprayed with solutions containing Ag or Cu nanoparticles and revealed changes in several spectral regions with the maxima at ~1740, 1370, 1230, and ~1090 cm−1. Additionally, a FTIR analysis conducted in combination with multivariate analysis allowed us to classify the studied oils into the most similar groups and to study the structure of data variability. The conducted analyses revealed that the use of nanoparticles resulted in decreased size of the produced seeds and improved antioxidative properties of rapeseed oil.
Low-Molecular-Weight Organogelators Based on N-dodecanoyl-L-amino Acids—Energy Frameworks and Supramolecular Synthons
Authors: Miroslaw Barbara , Demchuk Oleg M. , Luboradzki Roman , Tyszczuk-Rotko Katarzyna
Published: January 2023

Lauric acid was used to synthesize the low-molecular-weight organogelators (LMOGs), derivatives of two endogenous (L)-alanine, (L)-leucine, and three exogenous (L)-valine, (L)-phenylalanine, and (L)-proline amino acids. The nature of processes responsible for the gel formation both in polar and in apolar solvents of such compounds is still under investigation. Knowing that the organization of surfactant molecules affects the properties of nano scale materials and gels, we decided to elucidate this problem using crystallographic diffraction and energy frameworks analysis. The single crystals of the mentioned compounds were produced successfully from heptane/tBuOMe mixture. The compounds form lamellar self-assemblies in crystals. The energetic landscapes of single crystals of a series of studied amphiphilic gelators have been analyzed to explore the gelling properties. The presented results may be used as model systems to understand which supramolecular interactions observed in the solid state and what energy contributions are desired in the designing of new low-molecular-weight organic gelators.
Experimental Characterisation of Lime-Based Textile-Reinforced Mortar Systems Made of Either Jute or Flax Fabrics
Authors: Pepe Marco , Lombardi Rosario , Ferrara Giuseppe , Agnetti Stefano , Martinelli Enzo
Published: January 2023

Existing buildings are often in need of strengthening interventions, and several technical solutions have been recently developed for this purpose. Among them, the use of textile-reinforced mortar (TRM) composites has gained consensus as a technically viable and economically convenient option. Moreover, TRM has the potential to be employed as a reversible and sustainable strengthening technique for masonry buildings. In this context, the present paper aims to investigate the mechanical properties of TRM systems consisting of sustainable phases, such as lime-based matrices and natural fabrics produced by waiving fibers obtained from plants, such as Jute or Flax. This class composite system can be referred to as natural TRM and is denoted by the acronym NTRM. The present study moves from the geometric and mechanical characterisation of fibres and fabrics and, after having also investigated the properties of the mortar, it reports the results of tensile tests carried out on specimens of the NTRM systems under consideration, with the main aim of providing the empirical bases of the relationships between the geometric and physical properties of the constituents and the resulting mechanical response of the composite system. The obtained results show that the considered Flax-TRM system has an apparent composite behavior, as its response to tension is clearly characterised by the well-known three stages corresponding to the elastic response, the formation of cracks, and the reinforcement response up to rupture. Conversely, the Jute-TRM system needs to be further improved in terms of balance between the properties of the matrix and the internal reinforcement. Further studies will be devoted to this specific aspect and, more generally, to investigating the relationships between constituents’ properties and the NTRM behavior.
Improved Leakage Behavior at High Temperature via Engineering of Ferroelectric Sandwich Structures
Authors: Hu Guangliang , Shen Yinchang , Fan Qiaolan , Zhao Wanli , Liu Tongyu , Ma Chunrui , Jia Chun-Lin , Liu Ming
Published: January 2023

The leakage behavior of ferroelectric film has an important effect on energy storage characteristics. Understanding and controlling the leakage mechanism of ferroelectric film at different temperatures can effectively improve its wide-temperature storage performance. Here, the structures of a 1 mol% SiO2-doped BaZr0.35Ti0.65O3 (BZTS) layer sandwiched between two undoped BaZr0.35Ti0.65O3 (BZT35) layers was demonstrated, and the leakage mechanism was analyzed compared with BZT35 and BZTS single-layer film. It was found that interface-limited conduction of Schottky (S) emission and the Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) tunneling existing in BZT35 and BZTS films under high temperature and a high electric field are the main source of the increase of leakage current and the decrease of energy storage efficiency at high temperature. Only an ohmic conductive mechanism exists in the whole temperature range of BZT35/BZTS/BZT35(1:1:1) sandwich structure films, indicating that sandwich multilayer films can effectively simulate the occurrence of interface-limited conductive mechanisms and mention the energy storage characteristics under high temperature.
Effect of Ga2O3 Dopant on High Speed Sintered 5 mol% Y2O3 Stabilized Dental Zirconia
Authors: Nonaka Kazumichi , Teramae Mitsuji , Pezzotti Giuseppe
Published: January 2023

The high-speed sintering of zirconia has become essential for ceramic dental prosthesis treatment in a single visit. Previous studies have shown that 5 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia (5Y zirconia), with the exception of some types, loses strength and translucency with high-speed sintering. In this study, 0.15–0.92 wt% Ga2O3, which is expected to promote the sintering of zirconia, was added to improve the properties of 5Y zirconia high-speed sintered bodies, and the effect of its addition was evaluated. The specimens were characterized by density and translucency measurements, a three-point bending test, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and shrinkage measurement. The addition of Ga2O3 improved both translucency and flexural strength of 5Y zirconia high-speed sintered bodies. XRD and SEM observations revealed that this improvement in properties was due to the change in the crystal phase composition and the decrease in the amount and size of pores due to the addition of Ga2O3. Shrinkage measurements also revealed that the addition of Ga2O3 changed the sintering behavior of 5Y zirconia, suggesting that this change led to a reduction in porosity. From the above results, it was concluded that Ga2O3 addition is effective in improving the properties of 5Y zirconia high-speed sintered bodies.
Identification of Anhydrodebromoaplysiatoxin as a Dichotomic Autophagy Inhibitor
Authors: Feng Limin , Lu Chung-Kuang , Wu Jiajun , Chan Leo Lai , Yue Jianbo
Published: January 2023

Dysfunctional autophagy is associated with various human diseases, e.g., cancer. The discovery of small molecules modulating autophagy with therapeutic potential could be significant. To this end, we screened the ability of a series of metabolites isolated from marine microorganisms to modulate autophagy. Anhydrodebromoaplysiatoxin (ADAT), a metabolite yielded by the marine red algae Gracilaria coronopifolia, inhibited autophagosome-lysosome fusion in mammalian cells, thereby inducing the accumulation of autophagosomes. Treatment of cells with ADAT alkalinized lysosomal pH. Interestingly, ADAT also activated the mTOR/p70S6K/FoxO3a signaling pathway, likely leading to the inhibition of autophagy induction. ADAT had little effect on apoptosis. Our results suggest that ADAT is a dichotomic autophagy inhibitor that inhibits both late-stage (autophagosome-lysosome fusion) and early-stage (autophagy induction) autophagy.
Fight Fire with Fire: Detecting Forest Fires with Embedded Machine Learning Models Dealing with Audio and Images on Low Power IoT Devices
Authors: Peruzzi Giacomo , Pozzebon Alessandro , Van Der Meer Mattia
Published: January 2023

Forest fires are the main cause of desertification, and they have a disastrous impact on agricultural and forest ecosystems. Modern fire detection and warning systems rely on several techniques: satellite monitoring, sensor networks, image processing, data fusion, etc. Recently, Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms have been applied to fire recognition systems, enhancing their efficiency and reliability. However, these devices usually need constant data transmission along with a proper amount of computing power, entailing high costs and energy consumption. This paper presents the prototype of a Video Surveillance Unit (VSU) for recognising and signalling the presence of forest fires by exploiting two embedded Machine Learning (ML) algorithms running on a low power device. The ML models take audio samples and images as their respective inputs, allowing for timely fire detection. The main result is that while the performances of the two models are comparable when they work independently, their joint usage according to the proposed methodology provides a higher accuracy, precision, recall and F1 score (96.15%, 92.30%, 100.00%, and 96.00%, respectively). Eventually, each event is remotely signalled by making use of the Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) protocol to ensure that the personnel in charge are able to operate promptly.
Research on Lane Line Detection Algorithm Based on Instance Segmentation
Authors: Cheng Wangfeng , Wang Xuanyao , Mao Bangguo
Published: January 2023

Aiming at the current lane line detection algorithm in complex traffic scenes, such as lane lines being blocked by shadows, blurred roads, and road sparseness, which lead to low lane line detection accuracy and poor real-time detection speed, this paper proposes a lane line detection algorithm based on instance segmentation. Firstly, the improved lightweight network RepVgg-A0 is used to encode road images, which expands the receptive field of the network; secondly, a multi-size asymmetric shuffling convolution model is proposed for the characteristics of sparse and slender lane lines, which enhances the ability to extract lane line features; an adaptive upsampling model is further proposed as a decoder, which upsamples the feature map to the original resolution for pixel-level classification and detection, and adds the lane line prediction branch to output the confidence of the lane line; and finally, the instance segmentation-based lane line detection algorithm is successfully deployed on the embedded platform Jetson Nano, and half-precision acceleration is performed using NVDIA’s TensorRT framework. The experimental results show that the Acc value of the lane line detection algorithm based on instance segmentation is 96.7%, and the FPS is 77.5 fps/s. The detection speed deployed on the embedded platform Jetson Nano reaches 27 fps/s.
Agile Methodologies Applied to the Development of Internet of Things (IoT)-Based Systems: A Review
Authors: Guerrero-Ulloa Gleiston , Rodríguez-Domínguez Carlos , Hornos Miguel J.
Published: January 2023

Throughout the evolution of software systems, empirical methodologies have been used in their development process, even in the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm, to develop IoT-based systems (IoTS). In this paper, we review the fundamentals included in the manifesto for agile software development, especially in the Scrum methodology, to determine its use and role in IoTS development. Initially, 4303 documents were retrieved, a number that was reduced to 186 after applying automatic filters and by the relevance of their titles. After analysing their contents, only 60 documents were considered. Of these, 38 documents present the development of an IoTS using some methodology, 8 present methodologies focused on the construction of IoTS software, and 14 present methodologies close to the systems life cycle (SLC). Finally, only one methodology can be considered SLC-compliant. Out of 38 papers presenting the development of some IoTS following a methodology for traditional information systems (ISs), 42.1% have used Scrum as the only methodology, while 10.5% have used Scrum combined with other methodologies, such as eXtreme Programming (XP), Kanban and Rapid Prototyping. In the analysis presented herein, the existing methodologies for developing IoTSs have been grouped according to the different approaches on which they are based, such as agile, modelling, and service oriented. This study also analyses whether the different proposals consider the standard stages of the development process or not: planning and requirements gathering, solution analysis, solution design, solution coding and unit testing (construction), integration and testing (implementation), and operation and maintenance. In addition, we include a review of the automated frameworks, platforms, and tools used in the methodologies analysed to improve the development of IoTSs and the design of their underlying architectures. To conclude, the main contribution of this work is a review for IoTS researchers and developers regarding existing methodologies, frameworks, platforms, tools, and guidelines for the development of IoTSs, with a deep analysis framed within international standards dictated for this purpose.
A Texture-Hidden Anti-Counterfeiting QR Code and Authentication Method
Authors: Wang Tianyu , Zheng Hong , You Changhui , Ju Jianping
Published: January 2023

This paper designs a texture-hidden QR code to prevent the illegal copying of a QR code due to its lack of anti-counterfeiting ability. Combining random texture patterns and a refined QR code, the code is not only capable of regular coding but also has a strong anti-copying capability. Based on the proposed code, a quality assessment algorithm (MAF) and a dual feature detection algorithm (DFDA) are also proposed. The MAF is compared with several current algorithms without reference and achieves a 95% and 96% accuracy for blur type and blur degree, respectively. The DFDA is compared with various texture and corner methods and achieves an accuracy, precision, and recall of up to 100%, and also performs well on attacked datasets with reduction and cut. Experiments on self-built datasets show that the code designed in this paper has excellent feasibility and anti-counterfeiting performance.
Vehicle and Driver Monitoring System Using On-Board and Remote Sensors
Authors: Campos-Ferreira Andres E. , Lozoya-Santos Jorge de J. , Tudon-Martinez Juan C. , Mendoza Ricardo A. Ramirez , Vargas-Martínez Adriana , Morales-Menendez Ruben , Lozano Diego
Published: January 2023

This paper presents an integrated monitoring system for the driver and the vehicle in a single case of study easy to configure and replicate. On-board vehicle sensors and remote sensors are combined to model algorithms for estimating polluting emissions, fuel consumption, driving style and driver’s health. The main contribution of this paper is the analysis of interactions among the above monitored features highlighting the influence of the driver in the vehicle performance and vice versa. This analysis was carried out experimentally using one vehicle with different drivers and routes and implemented on a mobile application. Compared to commercial driver and vehicle monitoring systems, this approach is not customized, uses classical sensor measurements, and is based on simple algorithms that have been already proven but not in an interactive environment with other algorithms. In the procedure design of this global vehicle and driver monitoring system, a principal component analysis was carried out to reduce the variables used in the training/testing algorithms with objective to decrease the transfer data via Bluetooth between the used devices: a biometric wristband, a smartphone and the vehicle’s central computer. Experimental results show that the proposed vehicle and driver monitoring system predicts correctly the fuel consumption index in 84%, the polluting emissions 89%, and the driving style 89%. Indeed, interesting correlation results between the driver’s heart condition and vehicular traffic have been found in this analysis.
Relationships between External, Wearable Sensor-Based, and Internal Parameters: A Systematic Review
Authors: Helwig Janina , Diels Janik , Röll Mareike , Mahler Hubert , Gollhofer Albert , Roecker Kai , Willwacher Steffen
Published: January 2023

Micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) are used to record training and match play of intermittent team sport athletes. Paired with estimates of internal responses or adaptations to exercise, practitioners gain insight into players’ dose–response relationship which facilitates the prescription of the training stimuli to optimize performance, prevent injuries, and to guide rehabilitation processes. A systematic review on the relationship between external, wearable-based, and internal parameters in team sport athletes, compliant with the PRISMA guidelines, was conducted. The literature research was performed from earliest record to 1 September 2020 using the databases PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, and SportDISCUS. A total of 66 full-text articles were reviewed encompassing 1541 athletes. About 109 different relationships between variables have been reviewed. The most investigated relationship across sports was found between (session) rating of perceived exertion ((session-)RPE) and PlayerLoad™ (PL) with, predominantly, moderate to strong associations (r = 0.49–0.84). Relationships between internal parameters and highly dynamic, anaerobic movements were heterogenous. Relationships between average heart rate (HR), Edward’s and Banister’s training impulse (TRIMP) seem to be reflected in parameters of overall activity such as PL and TD for running-intensive team sports. PL may further be suitable to estimate the overall subjective perception. To identify high fine-structured loading—relative to a certain type of sport—more specific measures and devices are needed. Individualization of parameters could be helpful to enhance practicality.
Vision-Based Autonomous Following of a Moving Platform and Landing for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Authors: Morales Jesús , Castelo Isabel , Serra Rodrigo , Lima Pedro U. , Basiri Meysam
Published: January 2023

Interest in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) has increased due to their versatility and variety of applications, however their battery life limits their applications. Heterogeneous multi-robot systems can offer a solution to this limitation, by allowing an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) to serve as a recharging station for the aerial one. Moreover, cooperation between aerial and terrestrial robots allows them to overcome other individual limitations, such as communication link coverage or accessibility, and to solve highly complex tasks, e.g., environment exploration, infrastructure inspection or search and rescue. This work proposes a vision-based approach that enables an aerial robot to autonomously detect, follow, and land on a mobile ground platform. For this purpose, ArUcO fiducial markers are used to estimate the relative pose between the UAV and UGV by processing RGB images provided by a monocular camera on board the UAV. The pose estimation is fed to a trajectory planner and four decoupled controllers to generate speed set-points relative to the UAV. Using a cascade loop strategy, these set-points are then sent to the UAV autopilot for inner loop control. The proposed solution has been tested both in simulation, with a digital twin of a solar farm using ROS, Gazebo and Ardupilot Software-in-the-Loop (SiL); and in the real world at IST Lisbon’s outdoor facilities, with a UAV built on the basis of a DJ550 Hexacopter and a modified Jackal ground robot from DJI and Clearpath Robotics, respectively. Pose estimation, trajectory planning and speed set-point are computed on board the UAV, using a Single Board Computer (SBC) running Ubuntu and ROS, without the need for external infrastructure.
Research into Autonomous Vehicles Following and Obstacle Avoidance Based on Deep Reinforcement Learning Method under Map Constraints
Authors: Li Zheng , Yuan Shihua , Yin Xufeng , Li Xueyuan , Tang Shouxing
Published: January 2023

Compared with traditional rule-based algorithms, deep reinforcement learning methods in autonomous driving are able to reduce the response time of vehicles to the driving environment and fully exploit the advantages of autopilot. Nowadays, autonomous vehicles mainly drive on urban roads and are constrained by some map elements such as lane boundaries, lane driving rules, and lane center lines. In this paper, a deep reinforcement learning approach seriously considering map elements is proposed to deal with the autonomous driving issues of vehicles following and obstacle avoidance. When the deep reinforcement learning method is modeled, an obstacle representation method is proposed to represent the external obstacle information required by the ego vehicle input, aiming to address the problem that the number and state of external obstacles are not fixed.
Application of a Regionalization Method for Estimating Flash Floods: Cuautepec Basin, Mexico
Authors: Arganis Maritza , Preciado Margarita , Luna Faustino De , Cruz Liliana , Domínguez Ramón , Santana Olaf
Published: January 2023

A rainfall regionalization method based on variation coefficient was applied with a variant in the construction of flash flood hyetographs with several return periods using the flash flood shape of the historical event that occurred in September 2021 in the Tlalnepantla River basin, Mexico, that caused severe damage to population and its infrastructure in a few hours. The historical flash flood was simulated with a semi-distributed model in the free software HEC-HMS in order to obtain the outflow hydrograph, and the flood plains were obtained with Iber and Hec-Ras 2d software that simulate free surface flow with a two-dimensional analysis. With photographs of the site, it was possible to locate traces of water that were contrasted with they calculated depths; they were concordant. Synthetic design storms were then simulated to estimate their potential consequences on the site.
Entre la militancia y la experticia:
Authors: Cinto Agustina
Published: January 2023

El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar la construcción de políticas de la memoria en torno al ex centro clandestino de detención Servicio de Informaciones de la Policía de Santa Fe, ubicado en la ciudad de Rosario. Definimos para ello dos momentos del ex CCD en tanto lugar de memoria: por un lado, su proceso de recuperación como Centro Popular de la Memoria, entre los años 2001 y 2003; y por otro, su reconfiguración como Espacio de Memoria entre 2013 y 2015. Nos proponemos centrar la mirada en los diversos modos en que se han anudado, contrapuesto y tensionado los saberes militantes de organismos de DD.HH. y sobrevivientes, y los saberes expertos de la Arqueología/Antropología, la Arquitectura y el Derecho en las intervenciones, prácticas y narrativas que fueron definidas en ambos momentos. Como parte de una investigación doctoral desarrollada desde una perspectiva etnográfica, hemos llevado a cabo este análisis a partir de observaciones participantes, entrevistas no dirigidas, relevamiento de decretos, producciones escritas de los/as actores/as involucrados/as así como noticias periodísticas; estrategias que integran el trabajo de campo que desarrollamos desde el año 2015.
Reseña Geografía y educación sexual integral
Authors: Ensabella Beatriz
Published: January 2023

La preocupación central del libro es, la vinculación entre Geografía y ESI en la enseñanza secundaria. Al respecto, cabe recordar que la Ley N° 26.150 del 2006, establece que todxs lxs educandos tienen derecho a recibir ESI en todos los establecimientos educativos públicos de gestión estatal y privada, entendiéndose como ESI la que articula aspectos biológicos, psicológicos, sociales, afectivos y éticos. La ESI forma parte de la identidad de lxs jóvenes y apunta fundamentalmente a revisar la forma de relacionarse y promueve educar desde el respeto y la inclusión. 

El texto consta de una Introducción titulada “¿De qué se trata este libro?”, 4 capítulos que toman las dimensiones de los NAP (ambiental, política, socio-demográfica, económica), Bonus Track I, Taller sobre derecho a la ciudad (feminista) y Bonus track II, El caso de las maquiladoras en zonas fronterizas. Al final se anexan, glosario de conceptos, efemérides, glosario de leyes y materiales recomendados.

El texto logra traducir de forma didáctica, ese currículo de ESI en relación con la geografía para acercarlo a lxs profesores. Los nvita de manera explícita a que se animen a desarrollar estos temas, que encuentren conexiones entre los contenidos básicos de la disciplina y lo de la ESI y de este modo, romper la barrera de que la ESI se enseña en otras asignaturas.