bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Hydrogen Adsorption on Pt Nanoparticle Encapsulated in NaY Zeolite: Combined Study of WT XAFS and DFT Calculation
Authors: Cho Sung June , Ko Chang Hyun , Pak Chanho
Published: August 2023

Extensive research has been conducted on platinum nanoparticles or clusters supported on zeolite for various catalytic applications, primarily due to the well-defined structure contained within the pore. The preparation and characterization of these particles have been thoroughly examined using advanced techniques such as X-ray absorption fine structures (XAFSs), both in situ and ex situ. In this study, we employed the Wavelet method to analyze the structure of platinum nanoparticles encapsulated within the supercage of a Y zeolite, where XAFS data were collected over a temperature range of 100 K to 423 K, both with and without hydrogen. The adsorption of hydrogen caused a relaxation in the structure of the platinum nanoparticles, thus leading to a decrease in the Pt–Pt distance and resulting in a lower Debye–Waller factor compared to bare nanoparticles. This structural change induced by hydrogen chemisorption aligns with the findings of the density functional theory (DFT) calculations for Pt13 nanoparticles located in the supercage. The relaxation of the structure results in charge redistribution, thereby ultimately generating atomic hydrogen with a partial negative charge, which is crucial for catalytic processes.
Enhanced Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution on Gd1.0/Ndx (x = 0.5, 1.0, 3.0, and 6.0%)-Doped TiO2 Bimetallic Electrocatalysts
Authors: Alsawat Mohammed , Alshehri Naif Ahmed , Shaltout Abdallah A. , Ahmed Sameh I. , Al-Malki Hanan M. O. , Das Manash R. , Boukherroub Rabah , Amin Mohammed A. , Ibrahim Mohamed M.
Published: August 2023

The work reports a facile synthesis of high thermally stable nanocrystalline anatase TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) doped with different atomic concentrations (0.5, 1.0, 3.0, and 6.0%) of Gd3+ and Nd3+ ions by a template-free and one-step solvothermal process, using titanium(IV) butoxide as a titanium precursor and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as a solvent. The structure and morphology of the Gd3+, Nd3+, and 0.5%Gd3+-0.5%Nd3+/doped TiO2 NPs have been characterized by using various analytical techniques. The Gd3+/ and Nd3+/TiO2 molar ratios were found to have a pronounced impact on the crystalline structure, size, and morphology of TiO2 NPs. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies revealed the proper substitution of Ti4+ by Gd3+ and Nd3+ ions in the TiO2 host lattice. The as-prepared Gdx/TiO2, Ndx/TiO2, and Gd1.0/Ndx/TiO2 bimetallic NPs, x = 0.5, 1.0, 3.0, and 6%, have been investigated as electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in 1.0 M KOH solution using a variety of electrochemical techniques. At any doping percentage, the Gd1.0/Ndx/TiO2 bimetallic NPs showed higher HER catalytic performance than their corresponding counterparts, i.e., Gdx/TiO2 and Ndx/TiO2. Upon increasing the Nd content from 0.5 to 6.0%, the HER catalytic performance of the Gd1.0/Ndx/TiO2 bimetallic NPs was generally enhanced. Among the studied materials, the bimetallic Gd1.0/Nd6.0/TiO2 NPs emerged as the most promising catalyst with an onset potential of −22 mV vs. RHE, a Tafel slope of 109 mV dec−1, and an exchange current density of 0.72 mA cm−2. Such HER electrochemical kinetic parameters are close to those recorded by the commercial Pt/C (onset potential: −15 mV, Tafel slope: 106 mV dec−1, and exchange current density: 0.80 mA cm−2), and also comparable with those measured by the most active electrocatalysts reported in the literature. The synergistic interaction of Gd and Nd is thought to be the major cause of the bimetallic catalyst’s activity.
Hypometabolism, Alzheimer’s Disease, and Possible Therapeutic Targets: An Overview
Authors: Raut Snehal , Bhalerao Aditya , Powers Michael , Gonzalez Minelly , Mancuso Salvatore , Cucullo Luca
Published: August 2023

The brain is a highly dynamic organ that requires a constant energy source to function normally. This energy is mostly supplied by glucose, a simple sugar that serves as the brain’s principal fuel source. Glucose transport across the blood–brain barrier (BBB) is primarily controlled via sodium-independent facilitated glucose transport, such as by glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) and 3 (GLUT3). However, other glucose transporters, including GLUT4 and the sodium-dependent transporters SGLT1 and SGLT6, have been reported in vitro and in vivo. When the BBB endothelial layer is crossed, neurons and astrocytes can absorb the glucose using their GLUT1 and GLUT3 transporters. Glucose then enters the glycolytic pathway and is metabolized into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which supplies the energy to support cellular functions. The transport and metabolism of glucose in the brain are impacted by several medical conditions, which can cause neurological and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), epilepsy, traumatic brain injury (TBI), schizophrenia, etc., are a few of the most prevalent disorders, characterized by a decline in brain metabolism or hypometabolism early in the course of the disease. Indeed, AD is considered a metabolic disorder related to decreased brain glucose metabolism, involving brain insulin resistance and age-dependent mitochondrial dysfunction. Although the conventional view is that reduced cerebral metabolism is an effect of neuronal loss and consequent brain atrophy, a growing body of evidence points to the opposite, where hypometabolism is prodromal or at least precedes the onset of brain atrophy and the manifestation of clinical symptoms. The underlying processes responsible for these glucose transport and metabolic abnormalities are complicated and remain poorly understood. This review article provides a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of hypometabolism in AD and potential therapeutic targets.
MPP8 Governs the Activity of the LIF/STAT3 Pathway and Plays a Crucial Role in the Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells
Authors: Zhang Heyao , Yang Tenghui , Wu Hao , Yi Wen , Dai Chunhong , Chen Xi , Zhang Wensheng , Ye Ying
Published: August 2023

Mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) possess the remarkable characteristics of unlimited self-renewal and pluripotency, which render them highly valuable for both fundamental research and clinical applications. A comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying mESC function is of the utmost importance. The Human Silence Hub (HUSH) complex, comprising FAM208A, MPP8, and periphilin, constitutes an epigenetic silencing complex involved in suppressing retroviruses and transposons during early embryonic development. However, its precise role in regulating mESC pluripotency and differentiation remains elusive. In this study, we generated homogenous miniIAA7-tagged Mpp8 mouse ES cell lines. Upon induction of MPP8 protein degradation, we observed the impaired proliferation and reduced colony formation ability of mESCs. Furthermore, this study unveils the involvement of MPP8 in regulating the activity of the LIF/STAT3 signaling pathway and Nanog expression in mESCs. Finally, we provide compelling evidence that degradation of the MPP8 protein impairs the differentiation of mESC.
Fabrication of Electrochemical Sensor for the Detection of Mg(II) Ions Using CeO2 Microcuboids as an Efficient Electrocatalyst
Authors: Muruganandam Girdega , Nesakumar Noel , Kulandaisamy Arockia Jayalatha , Rayappan John Bosco Balaguru , Gunasekaran Balu Mahendran
Published: August 2023

In human blood serum, the concentration of magnesium ions typically ranges from 0.7 mM to 1.05 mM. However, exceeding the upper limit of 1.05 mM can lead to the condition known as hypermagnesemia. In this regard, a highly sensitive and selective electrochemical sensor for Mg(II) ion detection was successfully fabricated by immobilizing cerium oxide (CeO2) microcuboids, synthesized via microwave radiation method, onto the surface of glassy carbon electrode (GCE). Cyclic voltammetry studies revealed the exceptional electrocatalytic effect of CeO2 microcuboid-modified GC electrode, particularly in relation to the irreversible reduction signal of Mg(II). The microcuboid-like structure of CeO2 microparticles facilitated enhanced adsorption of Mg(II) ion (Γ=2.17×10−7mol cm−2) and electron transfer (ks=8.94 s−1) between the adsorbed Mg(II) ions and GCE. A comprehensive analysis comparing the performance characteristics of amperometry, differential pulse voltammetry, cyclic voltammetry, and square wave voltammetry was conducted. The square wave voltammetry-based Mg(II) sensor exhibited remarkable sensitivity of 2.856 μA mM−1, encompassing a broad linear detection range of 0–3 mM. The detection and quantification limits were impressively low, with values of 19.84 and 66.06 μM, respectively. Remarkably, the developed electrode showed a rapid response time of less than 140 s. Multiple linear regression and partial least squares regression models were employed to establish a mathematical relationship between magnesium ion levels and electrochemical parameters. Notably, the proposed sensor exhibited excellent anti-interferent ability, repeatability, stability, and reproducibility, enabling the fabricated electrode to be used effectively for Mg(II) ion sensing in real-world samples.
Chronological Rehabilitation Treatment Varying by Stage for Constructive Disability
Authors: Okamoto Takana , Mano Tomoo
Published: August 2023

Constructive disability poses significant challenges. However, such manifestations are often overlooked. To address these disabilities, customized rehabilitation is necessary across disease stages. This case report demonstrates how customized, stage-based occupational therapy interventions can effectively rehabilitate patients with progressive constructive disability. Herein, a 33-year-old female patient with progressive constructive disability underwent direct training and compensatory therapy in early stages and progressed to instrumental activities of daily living training in later stages. This case demonstrates how such customized, progressive occupational therapy can achieve substantial functional improvements even for patients with advancing cognitive and physical impairments from constructive disability.
Guided Superficial Enhanced Fluid Fat Injection (SEFFI) Procedures for Facial Rejuvenation: An Italian Multicenter Retrospective Case Report
Authors: Gennai Alessandro , Baldessin Monica , Melfa Fabrizio , Bovani Bruno , Camporese Alessandra , Claysset Barbara , Colli Mattia , Diaspro Alberto , Russo Rosalba , Strano Placido , Bollero Daniele , Capparè Guido , Casadei Alessandro , Gallo Giovanni , Piccolo Domenico , Salti Giovanni , Tesauro Piero
Published: August 2023

Background: The aging process starts in the center of the face, in the periocular region and around the mouth, with a combination of volume loss, tissue descent, deepened wrinkles, and the loss of skin structure and quality. Recently, several studies have demonstrated the efficacy of therapies based on autologous adipose tissue grafting, which leverages the properties of stromal vascular fraction (SVF) and adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) to accelerate the regenerative processes of the skin. This study aims to verify the ability of guided superficial enhanced fluid fat injection (SEFFI) in the facial area to correct volume loss and skin aging, proving that this standardized procedure has a very low rate of complications. Methods: We retrospectively collected data from 2365 procedures performed in Italian centers between 2019 and 2021. Guided SEFFI was performed alone or combined with cosmetic treatments, including the use of hyaluronic acid filler, suspension threads, synthetic calcium hydroxylapatite, botulin toxin, and microneedling. Results: guided SEFFI was used alone in more than 60% of the patients and in all facial areas. In about one-tenth of the patients, guided SEFFI was combined with a botulin toxin treatment or hyaluronic acid filling. Other procedures were used more rarely. Ecchymosis in the donor or injection sites was the most frequent adverse event but was only observed in 14.2% and 38.6% of the patients, respectively. Conclusions: The guided SEFFI technique is standardized and minimally invasive, leading to very few complications. It constitutes a promising antiaging medical treatment that combines effectiveness, safety, and simplicity.
Effect of Mucilage-Based Edible Coating Enriched with Oregano Essential Oil on Postharvest Quality and Sensorial Attributes of Fresh-Cut Loquat
Authors: Liguori Giorgia , Greco Giuseppe , Gargano Francesco , Gaglio Raimondo , Settanni Luca , Inglese Paolo
Published: August 2023

Due to pulp browning, weight loss, firmness loss, and decay, loquat fruits, and even more minimally processed fruits have a very short post-harvest life. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of Opuntia ficus-indica mucilage-based edible coating enriched with oregano oil on postharvest quality, microbial growth, and sensorial attributes of fresh-cut cv Martorana loquat fruit during cold storage. Fresh-cut loquat fruits were dipped in the mucilage-based solution enriched with oregano essential oil (MO-EC) and in distilled water used as control (CTR). According to our results, the mucilage-based edible coating enriched with oregano oil significantly improved the postharvest life of minimally processed loquat fruits by preserving quality, nutraceutical value, and sensory aspects. MO-EC had a barrier effect on fresh-cut loquat fruit, reducing weight and firmness losses, inhibiting TSS, TA, ascorbic acid content decrease, and enhancing the antioxidant activity until the end of the cold storage period (11 days at 5 °C). Microbiological analysis revealed that coated loquat fruits were characterized by a cell density of spoilage microorganisms 1 Log cycle lower than control fruits. The mucilage-based coating enriched with OEO positively affects the visual appearance of fresh-cut loquat fruits, at the end of the cold storage period, MO-EC samples did indeed report visual ratings that were five times greater than CTR samples. Our research suggests that applying mucilage-based coating enriched with OEO improves peeled loquat fruit shelf-life and allows the producers to sell products that are usually considered unmarketable (fruit with epicarp with large spot areas) to the market.
Carbon Nanocoil-Based Photothermal Conversion Carrier for Microbubble Transport
Authors: Liu Yuli , Sun Rui , Li Lixuan , Shen Jian , Pan Lujun
Published: August 2023

Carbon nanocoil (CNC), a kind of quasi-one-dimensional carbon nanomaterial with a unique micro-scale helical structure, has wide application prospects in biological and environmental governance fields, due to its excellent photothermal conversion characteristics. We combine a carbon nanocoil as the laser irradiation carrier (i.e., the substance for absorbing light energy and converting light energy into heat to allow the creation of microbubbles) and a light-induced method to realize the radial short-distance transport of microbubbles. The results confirm that controlling the size of the microbubbles by laser power enables the radial transport of multiple microbubbles in a row. Light-induced CNC allows the creation of microbubbles at the start of the transport and the elimination of the microbubbles at the end of the transport, and the distance of transport between the laser irradiation site on the CNC and the location of the bubbles disappearing ranges from 10 µm to 30 µm. The circulation process of creating, transporting, and eliminating bubbles is expected to become a promising technology for soil and groundwater remediation.
The Role of Friction Stir Processing Parameters and Hybrid ZrC/WC Reinforcement Particles in Improving the Surface Composite Dissimilar Matrix’s Dynamic Behavior and Microstructure Refinement
Authors: Djouider Fathi , Alhawsawi Abdulsalam , Elmoujarkach Ezzat , Banoqitah Essam , Alharazi Mazen , Moustafa Essam
Published: August 2023

This study examined the impact of hybrid reinforcement particles, specifically zirconium carbide (ZrC) and tungsten carbide (WC), as well as the parameters of friction stir processing (FSP), on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and dynamic behavior of aluminum alloys. The hybrid particles were integrated into the aluminum alloy using friction stir processing (FSP). The fabricated metal matrix composites (MMCs) were characterized using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The results showed that the FSP parameters and reinforcement particles played an important role in improving the grain refinement of the MMCs. This study’s results suggest that the FSP samples’ UTS can be maximized using a tool rotation speed of 600 rpm and a traverse speed of 30 mm/min. The grain refinement in the composite surface was attributed to the dynamic recrystallization during the friction stir processing (FSP) process. The reinforcement particles also acted as grain growth restrictors, further refining the grain size. This resulted in a 34% increase in ultimate tensile strength compared to AA2024 alloys and a 12% increase compared to AA7075 alloys. The composite surface also exhibited enhanced dynamic properties, with an increase in impact energy of 26%. The free vibration test showed that the hybrid reinforcement particles significantly improved the strength and damping capacity of the aluminum alloys, resulting in a high resonant frequency. This is important for applications such as vibration damping and noise reduction.
UV-Curable Fluorocarbon Polyurethane Coatings for Marble Kitchen Countertops
Authors: Xi Xiang , Yuan Weizhong
Published: August 2023

Marble kitchen countertops and other natural stone surfaces are often stained by various food ingredients and contaminants during daily use and require frequent cleaning, which is time-consuming and leads to the wasting of water. If the surface is coated with a hydrophobic and oleophobic coating, food ingredient contamination becomes easier to wipe clean. Therefore, a UV-curable monomer with fluorocarbon branched chains was synthesized and added to UV-curable coatings in different ratios. The preferred formulation that meets the basic performance requirements of UV-curable coatings, and has the best hydrophobic and oleophobic properties, was designed and selected. The formulation was upgraded by adding a hydrofluoric ether (HFE) solvent. These upgraded formulations were tested for hydrophobicity and oleophobicity under various conditions. The addition of an HFE solvent improves the initial water and cetane contact angles of the paint film, as well as the water and cetane contact angles under various conditions. Moreover, the upgraded formulations have better stain resistance. The degree of hydrophobicity and oleophobicity improvement is positively correlated with the addition of an HFE solvent. The UV-curable fluorocarbon polyurethane coating has good adhesion on a marble surface that has been polished and primed. Due to the presence of TEOH-6 instead of PFOA, the low content of fluorocarbon functional groups effectively located on the film surface makes the coating quite stable and safe.
Development of Laser Cavitation Peening Using a Normal-Oscillation Nd:YAG Laser
Authors: Soyama Hitoshi
Published: August 2023

The impact induced by cavitation bubble collapse can be utilized for mechanical surface treatment to improve fatigue properties of metals including additive manufactured metallic materials. A peening method using cavitation impact induced by a pulsed laser is called “laser cavitation peening (LCP)”. Normally, a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser, whose pulse width is a few nanoseconds, is used for LCP, which improves the fatigue strength. The problem with LCP is that the processing time is too slow. If a laser pulse whose pulse width is a few hundred microseconds can be utilized for LCP, the repetition frequency can be increased drastically using other types of laser systems such as a fiber laser. In the present paper, in order to reveal the possibility of LCP using a pulsed laser width of a few hundred microseconds, the use of LCP with a normal-oscillation Nd:YAG laser (pulse width ≈ 200 μs) was investigated. It is demonstrated that LCP with the normal-oscillation Nd:YAG laser produced curvature in an aluminum alloy plate. The shock pressure wave and impulsive vibration of the target surface at the first collapse of laser cavitation (LC), which was induced by the normal-oscillation Nd:YAG laser, was 3–4 times larger than those of laser ablation (LA).
Geometric Morphometric Analysis of Genus Chaetocnema (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Alticini) with Insights on Its Subgenera Classification and Morphological Diversity
Authors: Zhang Mengna , Ruan Yongying , Bai Ming , Chen Xiaoqin , Li Lixia , Yang Xingke , Meng Ziye , Liu Yang , Du Xinyan
Published: August 2023

In taxonomy, qualitative methods are commonly used to analyze morphological characters, which can lead to dramatic changes in higher taxa. Geometric morphometrics (GM) has proven to be useful for discriminating species in various taxonomy groups. However, the application of geometric morphometrics in supraspecies classification is relatively scarce. In this study, we tested the controversial two subgenera classification of Chaetocnema with geometric morphometrics; a total of 203 Chaetocnema species representing 50% of all known species from around the world were selected for the analysis. We analyzed the shape of the pronotum, elytron, head, aedeagus, and spermatheca. The results showed that the two traditional subgenera distinctly differed from each other; therefore, we propose using two subgenera arrangements to facilitate the understanding and taxonomy of the Chaetocnema species (especially in the Oriental, Palearctic, and Nearctic regions). Additionally, the morphological diversity of the abovementioned structures of Chaetocnema was analyzed, and it was found that the highest morphological diversity was in the spermatheca, which was greater than that in the aedeagus. Our research demonstrated that GM could be useful for detecting morphological delimitation of the supraspecies taxa. It also showed that GM methods are applicable to insects as small as 2 mm in body size.
Anterior Incisura Fibularis Corner Landmarks Can Safely Validate the Optimal Distal Tibiofibular Reduction in Malleolar Fractures—Prospective CT Study
Authors: Rozis Meletis , Zachariou Dimitrios , Vavourakis Michalis , Vasiliadis Elias , Vlamis John
Published: August 2023

Background: Distal tibiofibular injuries are common in patients with malleolar fractures. Malreduction is frequently reported in the literature and is mainly caused by insufficient intraoperative radiological evaluation. In this direction, we performed a prospective observational study to validate the efficacy of the anatomical landmarks of the anterior incisura corner. Methods: Patients with malleolar fractures and syndesmotic instability were reduced according to specific anatomic landmarks and had a postoperative bilateral ankle CT. The quality of the reduction was compared to the healthy ankles. Results: None of the controlled parameters differed significantly between the operated and healthy ankles. Minor deviations were correlated to the normal incisura morphology rather than the reduction technique. Conclusions: The anterior incisura anatomical landmarks can be an efficient way of reducing the distal tibiofibular joint without the need for intraoperative radiological evaluation.
Immunotherapy with PD-1 Inhibitor Nivolumab in Recurrent/Metastatic Platinum Refractory Head and Neck Cancers—Early Experiences from Romania and Literature Review
Authors: Mireștean Camil Ciprian , Stan Mihai Cosmin , Schenker Michael , Volovăț Constantin , Volovăț Simona Ruxandra , Iancu Dragoș Teodor Petru , Iancu Roxana Irina , Bădulescu Florinel
Published: August 2023

Prognosis in recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma (HNSCC) refractory to platinum-based chemotherapy is poor, making therapy optimization a priority. Anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (anti-PD-1) monoclonal antibody Nivolumab was approved in such cases. We present the early experience with Nivolumab immunotherapy at three cancer clinics from south and northeast Romania, aiming to describe the main characteristics and outcomes relative to literature reports, and to suggest patient selection criteria. Diagnostic, clinical, biological, therapeutic, and outcomes-related data from January 2020 until March 2023 were analyzed retrospectively. Eighteen patients with platinum refractory HNSCC (85.7% men, median age 58.9) were administered Nivolumab for 1–14 months (median 5.6 months) in addition to other treatments (surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy), and monitored for up to 25 months. Median neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) ranged from 2.72 initially to 6.01 during treatment. Overall survival (OS) was 16 months, and patients who died early had the sharpest NLR increases (13.07/month). There were no severe immune-related adverse events. Lower NLR values and combined intensive chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy were related to better outcomes. To our knowledge, we also report the first two cases of second primary malignancy (SPM) in the head and neck region treated with Nivolumab in Romania (for which the sequential administration of radiotherapy and immunotherapy seems better). The work of other Romanian authors on the role of HPV status in HNC is also discussed. Multi-center trials are needed in order to investigate and confirm these observations.
Current Strategies for Management of Medulloblastoma
Authors: Prados Michael D.
Published: August 2023

Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common malignant central nervous system tumor of childhood, which includes multiple molecular subgroups (4) and subtypes (8 to 12), each with different outcomes and potential therapy options. Long-term survival remains poor for many of the subtypes, with high late mortality risks and poor health-related quality of life. Initial treatment strategies integrate molecular subgroup information with more standard clinical and phenotypic factors to risk stratify newly diagnosed patients. Clinical trials treating relapsed disease, often incurable, now include multiple new approaches in an attempt to improve progression-free and overall survival.
Radiomics Applications in Spleen Imaging: A Systematic Review and Methodological Quality Assessment
Authors: Fanni Salvatore Claudio , Febi Maria , Francischello Roberto , Caputo Francesca Pia , Ambrosini Ilaria , Sica Giacomo , Faggioni Lorenzo , Masala Salvatore , Tonerini Michele , Scaglione Mariano , Cioni Dania , Neri Emanuele
Published: August 2023

The spleen, often referred to as the “forgotten organ”, plays numerous important roles in various diseases. Recently, there has been an increased interest in the application of radiomics in different areas of medical imaging. This systematic review aims to assess the current state of the art and evaluate the methodological quality of radiomics applications in spleen imaging. A systematic search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. All the studies were analyzed, and several characteristics, such as year of publication, research objectives, and number of patients, were collected. The methodological quality was evaluated using the radiomics quality score (RQS). Fourteen articles were ultimately included in this review. The majority of these articles were published in non-radiological journals (78%), utilized computed tomography (CT) for extracting radiomic features (71%), and involved not only the spleen but also other organs for feature extraction (71%). Overall, the included papers achieved an average RQS total score of 9.71 ± 6.37, corresponding to an RQS percentage of 27.77 ± 16.04. In conclusion, radiomics applications in spleen imaging demonstrate promising results in various clinical scenarios. However, despite all the included papers reporting positive outcomes, there is a lack of consistency in the methodological approaches employed.
B Cell Lymphocytosis in Juvenile Dermatomyositis
Authors: Costin Christopher , Khojah Amer , Ochfeld Elisa , Morgan Gabrielle , Subramanian Saravanan , Klein-Gitelman Marisa , Tan Xiao-Di , Pachman Lauren M.
Published: August 2023

In this study, we determined if B lymphocytosis may serve as a JDM biomarker for disease activity. Children with untreated JDM were divided into two groups based on age-adjusted B cell percentage (determined through flow cytometry): 90 JDM in the normal B cell group and 45 in the high B cell group. We compared through T-testing the age, sex, ethnicity, duration of untreated disease (DUD), disease activity scores for skin (sDAS), muscle (mDAS), total (tDAS), CMAS, and neopterin between these two groups. The patients in the high B cell group had a higher tDAS (p = 0.009), mDAS (p = 0.021), and neopterin (p = 0.0365). Secondary analyses included B cell values over time and BAFF levels in matched patients with JM (juvenile myositis) and concurrent interstitial lung disease (ILD); JM alone and healthy controls Patient B cell percentage and number was significantly higher after 3–6 months of therapy and then significantly lower on completion of therapy (p =< 0.0001). The JM groups had higher BAFF levels than controls 1304 vs. 692 ng/mL (p = 0.0124). This study supports B cell lymphocytosis as a JDM disease-activity biomarker and bolsters the basis for B cell-directed therapies in JDM.
Enhancing Image Quality via Robust Noise Filtering Using Redescending M-Estimators
Authors: Rendón-Castro Ángel Arturo , Mújica-Vargas Dante , Luna-Álvarez Antonio , Vianney Kinani Jean Marie
Published: August 2023

In the field of image processing, noise represents an unwanted component that can occur during signal acquisition, transmission, and storage. In this paper, we introduce an efficient method that incorporates redescending M-estimators within the framework of Wiener estimation. The proposed approach effectively suppresses impulsive, additive, and multiplicative noise across varied densities. Our proposed filter operates on both grayscale and color images; it uses local information obtained from the Wiener filter and robust outlier rejection based on Insha and Hampel’s tripartite redescending influence functions. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified through qualitative and quantitative results, using metrics such as PSNR, MAE, and SSIM.
Capacity-Achieving Input Distributions of Additive Vector Gaussian Noise Channels: Even-Moment Constraints and Unbounded or Compact Support
Authors: Eisen Jonah , Mazumdar Ravi R. , Mitran Patrick
Published: August 2023

We investigate the support of a capacity-achieving input to a vector-valued Gaussian noise channel. The input is subjected to a radial even-moment constraint and is either allowed to take any value in Rn or is restricted to a given compact subset of Rn. It is shown that the support of the capacity-achieving distribution is composed of a countable union of submanifolds, each with a dimension of n−1 or less. When the input is restricted to a compact subset of Rn, this union is finite. Finally, the support of the capacity-achieving distribution is shown to have Lebesgue measure 0 and to be nowhere dense in Rn.
Overview of Tensor-Based Cooperative MIMO Communication Systems—Part 1: Tensor Modeling
Authors: Favier Gérard , Rocha Danilo Sousa
Published: August 2023

Due to increasingly strong and varied performance requirements, cooperative wireless communication systems today occupy a prominent place in both academic research and industrial development. The technological and economic challenges for future sixth-generation (6G) wireless systems are considerable, with the objectives of improving coverage, data rate, latency, reliability, mobile connectivity and energy efficiency. Over the past decade, new technologies have emerged, such as massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) relay systems, intelligent reflecting surfaces (IRS), unmanned aerial vehicular (UAV)-assisted communications, dual-polarized (DP) antenna arrays, three dimensional (3D) polarized channel modeling, and millimeter-wave (mmW) communication. The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of tensor-based MIMO cooperative communication systems. Indeed, during the last two decades, tensors have been the subject of many applications in signal processing, especially for digital communications, and more broadly for big data processing. After a brief reminder of basic tensor operations and decompositions, we present the main characteristics allowing to classify cooperative systems, illustrated by means of different architectures. A review of main codings used for cooperative systems is provided before a didactic and comprehensive presentation of two-hop systems, highlighting different tensor models. In a companion paper currently in preparation, we will show how these tensor models can be exploited to develop semi-blind receivers to jointly estimate transmitted information symbols and communication channels.
Multi-Agent Task Allocation with Multiple Depots Using Graph Attention Pointer Network
Authors: Shi Wen , Yu Chengpu
Published: August 2023

The study of the multi-agent task allocation problem with multiple depots is crucial for investigating multi-agent collaboration. Although many traditional heuristic algorithms can be adopted to handle the concerned task allocation problem, they are not able to efficiently obtain optimal or suboptimal solutions. To this end, a graph attention pointer network is built in this paper to deal with the multi-agent task allocation problem. Specifically, the multi-head attention mechanism is employed for the feature extraction of nodes, and a pointer network with parallel two-way selection and parallel output is introduced to further improve the performance of multi-agent cooperation and the efficiency of task allocation. Experimental results are provided to show that the presented graph attention pointer network outperforms the traditional heuristic algorithms.
A Smart Control System for the Oil Industry Using Text-to-Speech Synthesis Based on IIoT
Authors: Mandeel Ali Raheem , Aggar Ammar Abdullah , Al-Radhi Mohammed Salah , Csapó Tamás Gábor
Published: August 2023

Oil refineries have high operating expenses and are often exposed to increased asset integrity risks and functional failure. Real-time monitoring of their operations has always been critical to ensuring safety and efficiency. We proposed a novel Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) design that employs a text-to-speech synthesizer (TTS) based on neural networks to build an intelligent extension control system. We enhanced a TTS model to achieve high inference speed by employing HiFi-GAN V3 vocoder in the acoustic model FastSpeech 2. We experimented with our system on a low resources-embedded system in a real-time environment. Moreover, we customized the TTS model to generate two target speakers (female and male) using a small dataset. We performed an ablation analysis by conducting experiments to evaluate the performance of our design (IoT connectivity, memory usage, inference speed, and output speech quality). The results demonstrated that our system Real-Time Factor (RTF) is 6.4 (without deploying the cache mechanism, which is a technique to call the previously synthesized speech sentences in our system memory). Using the cache mechanism, our proposed model successfully runs on a low-resource computational device with real-time speed (RTF equals 0.16, 0.19, and 0.29 when the memory has 250, 500, and 1000 WAV files, respectively). Additionally, applying the cache mechanism has reduced memory usage percentage from 16.3% (for synthesizing a sentence of ten seconds) to 6.3%. Furthermore, according to the objective speech quality evaluation, our TTS model is superior to the baseline TTS model.
A Reduced Hardware SNG for Stochastic Computing
Authors: López-Magaña Carlos , Rivera Jorge , Ortega-Cisneros Susana , Sandoval-Ibarra Federico , Del Valle Juan Luis
Published: August 2023

Stochastic Computing (SC) is an alternative way of computing with binary weighted words that can significantly reduce hardware resources. This technique relies on transforming information from a conventional binary system to the probability domain in order to perform mathematical operations based on probability theory, where smaller amounts of binary logic elements are required. Despite the advantage of computing with reduced circuitry, SC has a well known issue; the input interface known as stochastic number generator (SNG), is a hardware consuming module, which is disadvantageous for small digital circuits or circuits with several input data. Hence, in this work, efforts are dedicated to improving a classic weighted binary SNG (WBSNG). For this, one of the internal modules (weight generator) of the SNG was redesigned by detecting a pattern in the involved signals that helped to pose the problem in a different way, yielding equivalent results. This greatly reduced the number of logical elements used in its implementation. This pattern is interpreted with Boolean equations and transferred to a digital circuit that achieves the same behavior of a WBSNG but with less resources.
Vacuum Insulation Panel: Evaluation of Declared Thermal Conductivity Value and Implications for Building Energy
Authors: Boafo Fred Edmond , Kim Jin-Hee , Ahn Jong-Gwon , Kim Sang-Myung , Kim Jun-Tae
Published: August 2023

Policymakers regularly implement stricter building energy-efficiency codes towards curtailing building energy use. Inevitably, super-insulating materials such as Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIPs) are essential to satisfy such codes. VIPs have been applied to buildings for over two decades now, with many lessons learned. Generally, the thermal conductivity values of VIPs often reported in the literature are the center-of-panel thermal conductivity (λcop) and effective thermal conductivity (λeff), factoring thermal bridges. However, there are other indexes, such as λ90/90 (declared value in the 90% percentile with a confidence of 90%) and λcop,90/90,aged (factoring aging), that increase consistently and reliably in the declared thermal conductivity value for VIPs. These indexes are scarcely computed and hardly reported. The main aim of this study was to examine the different declared thermal conductivity values of VIP-based guidelines, such as draft ISO DIS 16478, and evaluate their implications on annual building energy consumption. The main study constitutes four parts: (1) experimental evaluation of the thermal properties of pristine and aged VIP samples, (2) computation of thermal conductivity indexes, (3) numerical investigation of thermal conductivity indexes based on a reference building, and (4) related building energy implications. The mean λcop for 10 VIP samples was 0.0042 W/(mK) and increased to 0.0073 W/(mK) for λ90/90, bridge, aged. Results show a significant bearing on building energy performance of as much as 2.1 GJ.
Synthesis and Hydrogenation of the Ti45−xVxZr38Ni17 (5 ≤ x ≤ 40) Mechanically Alloyed Materials
Authors: Czub Joanna , Takasaki Akito , Hoser Andreas , Reehuis Manfred , Gondek Łukasz
Published: August 2023

The mechanically alloyed amorphous alloys of the Ti45Zr38Ni17 composition are known for their ability to form a quasicrystalline state after thermal treatment. It is also known that the amorphous and quasicrystal alloys belonging to the Ti45Zr38Ni17 family are able to store hydrogen and yield gravimetric densities above 2 wt.%. In this contribution, we report the results of research on the Ti45Zr38Ni17 system with vanadium doped instead of titanium. We found that the amorphous samples with moderate doping (x < 20) show the ability to absorb hydrogen while maintaining the amorphous state and they transform into the novel glassy-quasicrystal phase during annealing. Those materials with higher vanadium concentrations do not form entirely amorphous structures. However, they still can absorb hydrogen easily. It was also confirmed that the in situ hydrogenation of the amorphous alloys is a straightforward process without decomposition of the alloy. In this process, hydrogen does not attach to any particular constituent of the alloy, which would lead to the formation of simple hydrides or nanoclusters. Therefore, we were able to confirm the fully amorphous nature of the deuterides/hydrides of the Ti45−xVxZr38Ni17 with moderate V doping.
Technique for Reactive Loss Reduction and Loading Margin Enhancement Using the Curves of Losses versus Voltage Magnitude
Authors: Lima Guilherme Barbosa , Bonini Neto Alfredo , Alves Dilson Amancio , Minussi Carlos Roberto , da Silva Amorim Estélio , da Silva Luiz Carlos Pereira
Published: August 2023

This paper presents an alternative methodology to obtain the precise amount of shunt reactive power compensation in order to simultaneously reduce the total reactive power losses, improve the voltage profile and increase the loading margin of power systems. The amount of shunt reactive power compensation to be allocated is determined based on the curve of the total reactive power losses versus the voltage magnitude of a chosen bus. The best places for shunt reactive compensation are defined by the load bus participation factors of the critical mode provided by the static modal analysis. Simulation results employing shunt capacitors obtained with the new approach for the IEEE test systems (14, 57 and 300 buses) show that the procedure leads to a reduction in total reactive and active power losses and simultaneously improves the voltage profile and loading margin.
Protein Disulfide Isomerase CfPdi1 Is Required for Response to ER Stress, Autophagy, and Pathogenicity in Colletotrichum fructicola
Authors: Li Sizheng , Chen Jiajia , Li He
Published: August 2023

Camellia oleifera, a woody plant indigenous to China, is primarily utilized for the production of cooking oil. However, it is frequently afflicted by anthracnose, a highly detrimental disease that leads to significant annual losses. Colletotrichum fructicola is the predominant etiological agent responsible for anthracnose in Ca. oleifera. Additionally, our investigation has revealed that a bZIP transcription factor CfHac1 in C. fructicola governs the pathogenicity and response to endoplasmic reticulum stress. In this study, we conducted an investigation of the role of the CfPDI1 gene in C. fructicola, which was significantly downregulated in ΔCfhac1 under endoplasmic reticulum stress. The CfPDI1 gene was deleted, resulting in reduced vegetative growth, conidiation, appressoria formation, and appressorium turgor generation. Furthermore, it was observed that the ΔCfpdi1 mutant exhibited impaired responsiveness to endoplasmic reticulum stresses, and the expression of UPR-related genes in C. fructicola was influenced by CfPdi1. Cytological investigations indicated that CfPdi1 is localized in the endoplasmic reticulum. Further analysis revealed that the ΔCfpdi1 mutant displays significantly reduced pathogenicity in Ca. oleifera. Taken together, this study illustrated crucial functions of CfPdi1 in development, response to ER stress, autophagy, and pathogenicity in C. fructicola.
Genetic Diversity of Carpinus tientaiensis Cheng, an Endemic and Critically Endangered Species in China, Based on ITS Sequences
Authors: Zhao Runan , He Qianqian , Chu Xiaojie , He Anguo , Zhu Zunling
Published: August 2023

The habitat of Carpinus tientaiensis Cheng (Betulaceae), an endemic endangered species in China, has been severely damaged, and it is in danger of going extinct. It is of great practical significance to propose corresponding protection measures based on population genetic variation. Based on the nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences, this study discovered that C. tientaiensis has relatively high genetic diversity at the species level. At the population level, the genetic variation levels of each population were not consistent, and the genetic diversity of the northern populations was higher than that of the southern populations. There was no significant genetic differentiation and phylogeographic structure among ribotypes and populations. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Sect. Distegocarpus and Sect. Carpinus were two independent genetic groups among the Carpinus, and C. tientaiensis may be the more evolutionary species in the Sect. Carpinus. Therefore, this study inferred that while C. tientaiensis has certain adaptability, climate change and human interference have brought it to an endangered state. Its populations may experienced the bottleneck effect, after which the expansion time was too short, with the populations failing to form a complex genetic structure. In addition, Tiantai Mountain was probably the original community and center of C. tientaiensis.
The Second Edition of Motivations Associated with Food Choices and Eating Practices
Authors: Guiné Raquel P. F.
Published: August 2023

Eating patterns are linked with both environmental and behavioural factors [...]
Kinetic Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction as a Sustainable Approach for the Recovery of Phenolics Accumulated through UVA Treatment in Strawberry By-Products
Authors: Villamil-Galindo Esteban , Gastélum-Estrada Alejandro , Chuck-Hernandez Cristina , Antunes-Ricardo Marilena , Reza-Zaldivar Edwin , Piagentini Andrea , Jacobo-Velázquez Daniel
Published: August 2023

Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) is an efficient and sustainable method for extracting bioactive compounds from agro-industrial by-products. Moreover, it has been reported that ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation can induce the biosynthesis and accumulation of bioactive phenolic compounds. This study optimized the efficiency of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) for recovering ultraviolet A (UVA)-induced phenolic compounds in strawberry by-products (RF-N). The impact of three factors (solid-liquid ratio, ethanol concentration, and ultrasound power) on total phenolic compound (TPC) kinetics using Peleg’s model was investigated. The developed model showed a suitable fit for both RF-N and strawberry by-products treated with UVA (RF-E). The optimal UAE conditions obtained were of a 1:30 ratio, 46% ethanol, and 100% ultrasound power, resulting in an average yield of 13 g total phenolics kg−1. The bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds during in-vitro digestion was 36.5%, with agrimoniin being the predominant compound. UAE combined with UVA treatment increased the bioactivity of RF extracts, displaying significant anti-proliferative effects on HT29 and Caco-2 cancer cell lines, as well as anti-inflammatory potential and cellular antioxidant activity. The ultrasound proved to be a sustainable and effective technique for extracting phenolic compounds from RF, contributing to the valorization of strawberry agro-industrial by-products, and maximizing their nutraceutical potential.