bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Laparoscopic surgery for gallstones or common bile duct stones: A stably safe and feasible surgical strategy for patients with a history of upper abdominal surgery
Authors: Yang Shaojie , Wu Shuodong , Dai Wanlin , Pang Liwei , Xie Yaofeng , Ren Tengqi , Zhang Xiaolin , Bi Shiyuan , Zheng Yuting , Wang Jingnan , Sun Yang , Zheng Zhuyuan , Kong Jing
Published: September 2022

Backgrounds/Aims

A history of upper abdominal surgery has been identified as a relative contraindication for laparoscopy. This study aimed to compare the clinical efficacy and safety of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) and laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE) in patients with and without previous upper abdominal surgery.

Methods

In total, 131 patients with previous upper abdominal surgery and 64 without upper abdominal surgery underwent LC or LCBDE between September 2017 and September 2021 at the Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University. Patients with previous upper abdominal surgery were divided into four groups: group A included patients with previous right upper abdominal surgery who underwent LC (n = 17), group B included patients with previous other upper abdominal surgery who underwent LC (n = 66), group C included patients with previous right upper abdominal surgery who underwent LCBDE (n = 30), and group D included patients with previous other upper abdominal surgery who underwent LCBDE (n = 18). Patient demographics and perioperative outcomes were retrospectively analyzed.

Results

The preoperative liver function indexes showed no significant difference between the observation and control groups. For patients who underwent LC, groups A and B had more abdominal adhesions than the control group. One case was converted to open surgery in each of groups A and B. There was no statistical difference in operation time, estimated blood loss, postoperative hospital stay, and drainage volume. For patients who underwent LCBDE, groups C and D had more estimated blood loss than the control group (group C, 41.33 ± 50.84 vs. 18.97 ± 13.12 ml, p = 0.026; group D, 66.11 ± 87.46 vs. 18.97 ± 13.12 ml, p = 0.036). Compared with the control group, group C exhibited longer operative time (173.87 ± 60.91 vs. 138.38 ± 57.38 min, p = 0.025), higher drainage volume (296.83 ± 282.97 vs. 150.83 ± 127.04 ml, p = 0.015), and longer postoperative hospital stay (7.97 ± 3.68 vs. 6.17 ± 1.63 days, p = 0.021). There was no mortality in all groups.

Conclusions

LC or LCBDE is a safe and feasible procedure for experienced laparoscopic surgeons to perform on patients with previous upper abdominal surgery.
Molecular detection and identification of three intracellular parasites of retail mutton products in Beijing, China
Authors: Zhu Zifu , Chen Yajie , Yang Xu , Wang Lifang , Liu Qun , Liu Jing
Published: September 2022

Sarcocystis spp., Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii are globally ubiquitous pathogens, and domestic sheep are considered to be one of the intermediate hosts. 83 myocardial samples of sheep were collected from 12 retail stores in Beijing, China. Sarcocystis spp., N. caninum and T. gondii were identified by PCR amplification of the 18S rRNA gene, Nc-5 gene and 529bp DNA fragment with a prevalence of 86.7% (95% CI: 77.5–93.2) and 43.4% (95% CI: 32.5–54.7) for Sarcocystis spp. and N. caninum infections, respectively, and no T. gondii was detected. The co-infection prevalence of Sarcocystis and N. caninum was 38.6% (95% CI: 28.1–49.9). Two Sarcocystis species were subtyped by analyzing 18SrRNA sequences and were identified as Sarcocystis tenella and Sarcocystis arieticanis. The prevalence of S. tenella and S. arieticanis infections was 84.3% (95% CI: 74.7–91.4) and 56.6% (95% CI: 45.3–67.5), respectively. This study shows that sheep have a high risk of infection with Sarcocystis and N. caninum, suggests that effective prevention measures are needed to avoid the spread of these parasites in sheep. Toxoplasmosis in sheep poses a threat to human and animal health and requires monitoring and preventing continuously.
The autonomy principle in companion veterinary medicine: A critique
Authors: Hiestand Karen M.
Published: September 2022

Following developments in human medical ethics, veterinary ethics has similarly shifted from a historic paternalistic approach, toward greater respect for autonomy. Veterinarians operate within a tripartite system where there is separation of doctor/patient dyad by animal owners. As such there are fundamental differences between veterinary and human medical sectors regarding application of the autonomy principle—specifically, to whom is autonomy afforded? This paper argues that the accepted transference of autonomy to owners constitutes a corruption of the principle. Privileges owners exercise over animal treatment decisions relate to their rights over property use, rather than application of self-rule over one's own person as described in bioethics literature. To highlight issues with the status quo, this paper outlines the negative consequences of “owner autonomy” on animal (patient) welfare, integrity of the veterinary profession's social contract and professional autonomy. A way forward is proposed that places greater emphasis on animal (patient) welfare being explicitly at the center of veterinary treatment decision-makingviarecognition that all such decisions are made by a proxy, and therefore more appropriate frameworks ought to be engaged, such as a best interests paradigm.
What Are the Effects of Electronic Cigarettes on Lung Function Compared to Non-Electronic Cigarettes? A Systematic Analysis
Authors: Song Yumeng , Li Xin , Li Chaoxiu , Xu Shuang , Liu Yong , Wu Xiaomei
Published: September 2022

Objective: The effects of e-cigarettes on lung function were compared between the e-cigarette and the non-e-cigarette group, as well as self-changes after inhaling e-cigarettes.

Method: From March 1st, 2022, relevant literature was selected from four databases through a predefined retrieval strategy. Strict literature screening and quality evaluation were conducted. The study followed PRISMA guidelines.

Results: Our results showed that CO (SMD: −1.48, 95%: −2.82–0.15) and FeNO (SMD: −0.66, 95%: −1.32, −0.01) were significantly decreased after e-cigarette usage. Only asthmatic smokers showed a statistically significant increase in flow resistance after inhaling e-cigarettes. Conversely, the decrease of FEV1/FVC% in the non-e-cigarette groups exceeded that in the e-cigarette group (SMD:1.18, 95%: 0.11–2.26). The degree of O2 saturation decrease was also less than that for the cigarette groups (SMD:0.32, 95%: 0.04–0.59), especially when compared to the conventional cigarette group (SMD:0.56, 95%: 0.04–1.08).

Conclusion: The current findings indicate that short-term e-cigarette inhalation has a similar (but not significant) effect on lung function, as compared with non-e-cigarettes. More clinical studies are needed to explore the safety of inhaling e-cigarettes, especially in vulnerable populations.
Investigation and Improvement of T-Tail Junction Flow Separation for a Demonstration Aircraft
Authors: Wei Ziyan , Li Jie , Tang Songxiang , Yang Zhao
Published: September 2022

Flow separation is easily induced at the junctions of aircraft components, and for aircraft with T-type tails, in particular, it can lead to loss of directional stability under a small sideslip angle. In the reported study, improved delayed detached eddy simulation with a shear-layer-adapted length scale based on the k–ω shear-stress transport method was used to analyze and rectify the corner separation at the junctions of the horizontal and vertical parts of the tail of a demonstration aircraft. This was done to (i) suppress the flow separation caused by the complex interaction of the boundary layers on the horizontal and vertical tail parts at their junctions, and (ii) prevent the vertical tail parts from having any separated flow on their pressure and suction sides. The results showed that the main cause of the loss of directional stability was separation flow on the suction sides of the vertical tail parts. The corner flow separation was suppressed significantly by only using fairing cones at the junctions of the horizontal and vertical tail parts, thereby allowing the aircraft to maintain directional stability under a small sideslip angle.
First Documented Uses of Caves along the Coast of Albania by Mediterranean Monk Seals (Monachus monachus, Hermann 1779): Ecological and Conservation Inferences
Authors: Bundone Luigi , Hernandez-Milian Gema , Hysolakoj Nexhip , Bakiu Rigers , Mehillaj Tatjana , Lazaj Lorela , Deng Hua , Lusher Amy , Pojana Giulio
Published: September 2022

Information on the habitat use of the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) along the coast of Albania (Adriatic and Ionian Sea) has so far been limited to vague and generalised data. A survey conducted in the National Marine Park Karaburun-Sazan in the summer of 2019 identified two marine caves with morphological characteristics best suited for use by such species. The two caves were subsequently equipped with infrared camera traps in 2020. The recovery of a scat in one of the caves during the 2019 survey and the photographic material obtained confirmed the use of the cave. This research provides the first documentation of marine cave habitat use by the Mediterranean monk seal in Albania. Quantitative and qualitative assessment of specimens frequenting the area could not be performed due to the limited data obtained on seal presence along the Albanian coasts. Nevertheless, the retrieved information is relevant for Albania and for the species conservation. The collected scat was analysed for trophic and anthropogenic contamination data. Three species (gilthead sea bream, European sea bass, and garfish), as well as four anthropogenic items (including a piece of nylon net), were identified. The inferences resulting from the analyses of the data presented in this study provided additional information on the ecology of the species and its conservation priorities, which need to be contextualized at the Adriatic–Ionian regional scale.
Supplementation with Oral Vitamin C Prior to and during Myeloablative Chemotherapy and Autologous Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Pilot Study
Authors: Carr Anitra C. , Vlasiuk Emma , Zawari Masuma , Meijer Natalie , Lauren Carolyn , MacPherson Sean , Williman Jonathan , Chambers Stephen T.
Published: September 2022

Chemotherapy-related side effects are common in patients undergoing myeloablative chemotherapy and haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Some, such as oral mucositis, are believed to be due to enhanced oxidative stress and inflammation. Vitamin C, a potent antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties, becomes severely depleted following myeloablative chemotherapy. The aim of our study was to assess the feasibility and efficacy of oral vitamin C supplementation to restore and maintain adequate vitamin C concentrations in patients undergoing myeloablative chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation. We carried out a pilot randomized controlled trial in 20 patients with myeloma and lymphoma. Placebo or vitamin C tablets (1 g twice daily) were initiated one week prior to transplantation and continued for 4 weeks post-transplantation. Blood samples were collected weekly for analysis of plasma vitamin C concentrations using high-performance liquid chromatography. The patients’ symptoms and quality of life parameters were monitored using the World Health Organization oral toxicity scale and the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ). Pre-supplementation with oral vitamin C doubled vitamin C concentrations relative to placebo by day 0 (median 61 vs. 31 µmol/L), with 60% of those in the vitamin C group achieving concentrations ≥ 50 µmol/L, compared with only 10% in the placebo group. Following chemotherapy and transplantation, significance between the vitamin C and placebo groups was lost by day 7, with only 30% of the patients in the vitamin C group having plasma concentrations ≥ 50 µmol/L. This was partly due to intolerance of the oral intervention due to nausea/vomiting and diarrhoea (40% of the participants in each group). Oral mucositis was also observed in 40% of the participants at day 7 or 14. Overall, our study showed that whilst short-term oral vitamin C pre-supplementation was able to restore adequate vitamin C status by day 0, ongoing supplementation could not maintain adequate vitamin C concentrations following chemotherapy and transplantation. Thus, intravenous vitamin C should be trialled as this bypasses the gastrointestinal system, negating intolerance issues and improving bioavailability of the vitamin.
Forecast of Airblast Vibrations Induced by Blasting Using Support Vector Regression Optimized by the Grasshopper Optimization (SVR-GO) Technique
Authors: Chen Lihua , Asteris Panagiotis G. , Tsoukalas Markos Z. , Armaghani Danial Jahed , Ulrikh Dmitrii Vladimirovich , Yari Mojtaba
Published: September 2022

Air overpressure (AOp) is an undesirable environmental effect of blasting. To date, a variety of empirical equations have been developed to forecast this phenomenon and prevent its negative impacts with accuracy. However, the accuracy of these methods is not sufficient. In addition, they are resource-consuming. This study employed support vector regression (SVR) optimized with the grasshopper optimizer (GO) algorithm to forecast AOp resulting from blasting. Additionally, a novel input selection technique, the Boruta algorithm (BFS), was applied. A new algorithm, the SVR-GA-BFS7, was developed by combining the models mentioned above. The findings showed that the SVR-GO-BFS7 model was the best technique (R2 = 0.983, RMSE = 1.332). The superiority of this model means that using the seven most important inputs was enough to forecast the AOp in the present investigation. Furthermore, the performance of SVR-GO-BFS7 was compared with various machine learning techniques, and the model outperformed the base models. The GO was compared with some other optimization techniques, and the superiority of this algorithm over the others was confirmed. Therefore, the suggested method presents a framework for accurate AOp prediction that supports the resource-saving forecasting methods.
Unified Modeling and Analysis of Vibration Energy Harvesters under Inertial Loads and Prescribed Displacements
Authors: Bjurström Johan , Ohlsson Fredrik , Rusu Cristina , Johansson Christer
Published: September 2022

In this paper, we extend the optimization analysis found in the current literature for single-degree-of-freedom vibrational energy harvesters. We numerically derive and analyze the optimization conditions based on unified expressions for piezoelectric and electromagnetic energy harvesters. Our contribution lies in the detailed analysis and comparison of both resonant and anti-resonant states while fully including the effect of intrinsic resistance. We include both the case of excitation by inertial load and prescribed displacement, as the latter has not been elaborated on in the previous literature and provides new insights. We perform a general analysis but also consider typical values of applied piezoelectric and electromagnetic energy harvesters. Our results improve upon previous similar comparative studies by providing new and useful insights regarding optimal load, load power and power input to output efficiency. Our analysis shows an exponential increase in the critical mechanical quality factor due to the resistive loss coefficient. We find that the ratio of mechanical quality factor to resistive loss coefficient, at resonance, increases drastically close to the theoretical maximum for load power. Under the same optimization conditions, an equivalent conclusion can be drawn regarding efficiency. We find that the efficiency at anti-resonance behaves differently and is equal to or larger than the efficiency at resonance. We also show that the optimal load coefficient at resonance has a significant dependence on the mechanical quality factor only when the resistive loss coefficient is large. Our comparison of excitation types supports the previous literature, in a simple and intuitive way, regarding optimal load by impedance matching and power output efficiency. Our modeling and exploration of new parameter spaces provide an improved tool to aid the development of new harvester prototypes.
Using Machine Learning Language Models to Generate Innovation Knowledge Graphs for Patent Mining
Authors: Trappey Amy J. C. , Liang Chih-Ping , Lin Hsin-Jung
Published: September 2022

To explore and understand the state-of-the-art innovations in any given domain, researchers often need to study many domain patents and synthesize their knowledge content. This study provides a smart patent knowledge graph generation system, adopting a machine learning (ML) natural language modeling approach, to help researchers grasp the patent knowledge by generating deep knowledge graphs. This research focuses on converting chemical utility patents, consisting of chemistries and chemical processes, into summarized knowledge graphs. The research methods are in two parts, i.e., the visualization of the chemical processes in the chemical patents’ most relevant paragraphs and a knowledge graph of any domain-specific collection of patent texts. The ML language modeling algorithms, including ALBERT for text vectorization, Sentence-BERT for sentence classification, and KeyBERT for keyword extraction, are adopted. These models are trained and tested in the case study using 879 chemical patents in the carbon capture domain. The results demonstrate that the average retention rate of the summary graphs for five clustered patent texts exceeds 80%. The proposed approach is novel and proven to be reliable in graphical deep knowledge representation.
Pathological Digital Biomarkers: Validation and Application
Authors: Song Youngjae , Kang Kyungmin , Kim Inho , Kim Tae-Jung
Published: September 2022

Digital pathology offers powerful tools for biomarker discovery, analysis, and translation. Despite its advantages, the clinical adoption of digital pathology has been slow. A clinical and methodological validation is required for novel digital pathological biomarkers. Four steps are required to validate a novel pathological digital biomarker for clinical use: sample collection and processing, analytical validation, clinical validation, and clinical utility. The digital biomarkers and their diagnostic, monitoring, pharmacodynamic response, predictive, prognostic, safety, and risk assessment applications are discussed. Adopting pathological digital biomarkers can be used in conjunction with other diagnostic technologies to select the most appropriate patient treatment, thereby reducing patient suffering and healthcare costs.
Foot Anatomical Structural Variations Increase the Risk of Falls in Older Adults
Authors: Sánchez-Sanjuan Almudena , Romero-Morales Carlos , Alfaro-Santafé Javier , Almenar-Arasanz Alejandro-Jesús , Gómez-Bernal Antonio , Pareja-Galeano Helios
Published: September 2022

Falls are common among older adults. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the relationship between foot anatomical structural variations and balance in older adults and quantify foot posture and stabilometry as predictors of fall risk. This case-control study of older adults classified cases or controls according to falls in the last five years. All subjects were healthy women and men > 65 years old (n = 164), who were divided into two groups: 83 individuals who had suffered from a fall in the previous five years (case group) and 81 individuals who had not suffered from a fall (control group). Hallux abductus valgus (HAV) and tailor’s bunion are stability-determining factors. Women have a higher probability of falling. HAV (p = 0.042) and tailor’s bunion (p = 0.069) also increased the fall probability. Morphological foot variations (HAV and tailor’s bunion) linked to gender and age increase fall risk among older adults. In women fallers with HAV, there was a higher possibility of falling (63.9%). According to age, in older adults with HAV, the percentage of falls is high (62%). Fallers with tailor’s bunion (60.7%) are more numerous than fallers without this pathology. Older adults with HAV and tailor´s bunion had twice the probability of suffering a fall than older people without foot anatomical structural. Foot morphology is decisive in falling risk.
High Tracking Control for a New Independent Metering Valve System Using Velocity-Load Feedforward and Position Feedback Methods
Authors: Nguyen Thanh Ha , Do Tri Cuong , Nguyen Van Hien , Ahn Kyoung Kwan
Published: September 2022

The new configuration of independent metering valve (NIMV) system uses three proportional valves that gave been effectively proven to be energy saving compared with a conventional independent metering valve system in the fixed load condition. However, the variable load condition completely affects the accuracy and energy consumption during the operation of excavators. To improve the motion tracking precision and reduce the energy consumption of the NIMV system, a novel control method based on the coordinated control of the pump and the valve is proposed. In detail, the valve is controlled by considering velocity, load force, and position feedback of the cylinder. Meanwhile, velocity feedforward and position feedback methods are used to control the speed of the pump. In addition, a switching mode for the NIMV system is designed to flexibly select the metering modes based on the load and velocity conditions. To confirm the effectiveness of the proposed control method, the co-simulation model is built by using the AMESim and MATLAB software. From the results, the proposed method not only has high trajectory tracking precision with the displacement error of the cylinder at around 3.6% but also achieves up to 6.4% energy saving.
A Generative Adversarial Network for Financial Advisor Recruitment in Smart Crowdsourcing Platforms
Authors: Hamadi Raby , Ghazzai Hakim , Massoud Yehia
Published: September 2022

Financial portfolio management is a very time-consuming task as it requires the continuous surveying of the market volatility. Investors need to hire potential financial advisors to manage portfolios on their behalf. Efficient hiring of financial advisors not only facilitates their cooperation with investors but also guarantees optimized portfolio returns and hence, optimized benefits for the two entities. In this paper, we propose to tackle the portfolio optimization problem by efficiently matching financial advisors to investors. To this end, we model the problem as an automated crowdsourcing platform to organize the cooperation between the different actors based on their features. The recruitment of financial advisors is performed using a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) that extrapolates the problem to an image processing task where financial advisors’ features are encapsulated in gray-scale images. Hence, the GAN is trained to generate, based on an investor profile given as an input, the ’ideal’ financial advisor profile. Afterwards, we measure the level of similarity between the generated ideal profiles and the existing profiles in the crowdsourcing database to perform a low complexity, many-to-many investor-to-financial advisor matching. In the simulations, intensive tests were performed to show the convergence and effectiveness of the proposed GAN-based solution. We have shown that the proposed method achieves more than 17% of the average expected return compared to baseline approaches.
Secure Access Control Realization Based on Self-Sovereign Identity for Cloud CDM
Authors: Kang Yunhee , Park Young B.
Published: September 2022

Public healthcare has transformed from treatment to preventive care and disease management. The Common Data Model (CDM) provides a standard data structure defined to utilize hospitals’ data. Digital identity takes a significant role as the body of information about an individual used by computer systems to identify and establish trust among organizations. The CDM research network, composed of users handling medical information, has several digital identities associated with their activity. A high central authority cost can be reduced by Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). It enables users to control their identities independently of a third party. To preserve the privacy of researchers in clinical studies, secure identification is the main concern of identifying the researcher and its agents. To do so, they should pose a legally verifiable credential in the cloud CDM. By presenting the proof represented by the capability that the user has, each identity has access control that is linked to an authentication credential that the cloud CDM can verify. Assurance in one’s identity is confirmed by asserting claims with the identity and its capability, providing its verifiable credential to the authentication entity in the cloud CDM. This paper describes the user-centric claim-based identity operation model based on use cases to handle researcher identity in the cloud CDM. In this model, credentials are designed as a capability and presented to them to access SPs in the cloud CDM. To provide well-controlled access control in the cloud CDM, we build and prototype a capability based CDM management system.
Multi-Feature Extraction-Based Defect Recognition of Foundation Pile under Layered Soil Condition Using Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Wu Chuan-Sheng , Hao Tian-Qi , Qi Ling-Ling , Zhuo De-Bing , Feng Zhen-Yang , Zhang Jian-Qiang , Peng Yang-Xia
Published: September 2022

If the layer of soil surrounding a pile is not taken into account during the engineering detection process, the velocity-time curve might show asymptotic diameter shrinkage or diameter expanding features, which would alter the interpretation of the test findings. In this study, we suggest combining multi-feature extraction and a convolutional neural network (CNN) to increase accuracy in pile defect recognition for layered soil conditions and traditional deep learning flaws. First, numerical simulations are run to create velocity–time curves for foundation piles under layered soil conditions. Then, the data are extracted from three dimensions: time domain, frequency domain, and time-frequency domain, respectively, and fused into a set of feature vectors. Finally, a foundation pile defect identification model combining multi-scale features and CNN is established. The findings demonstrate that the CNN model has 97.8% accuracy while the PNN has 28.6% accuracy, demonstrating that the approach is very reliable.
Sergei Sigei and Aleksei Kruchenykh: Visual Poetry in the Russian Avant-Garde and Neo-Avant-Garde
Authors: Weststeijn Willem G.
Published: September 2022

One of the characteristic features of the Russian Avant-garde is the close connection between painting and poetry. Futurist poets (Vladimir Maiakovskii, Aleksei Kruchenykh) were educated as artists, their books were illustrated by the famous painters of their time (Mikhail Larionov, Nataliia Goncharova). Some of the Futurists designed their own books and did all kinds of typographical experiments. One of the most productive writers, designers, editors and publishers of such books was Aleksei Kruchenykh (1886–1968), who only recently has been given honour where it is due. One of his admirers is the Neo-avant-garde poet-artist Sergei Sigei (1947–2014), who was the first to publish some of Kruchenykh’s hitherto unpublished works and in many respects repeated, changed, and further developed his forerunner’s experiments with typographical signs and book production. Some of Sigei’s unique handmade books are dedicated to Kruchenykh. Sigei, the leader of the group of the ‘transfurists’ (Ry Nikonova, Boris Konstriktor, A. Nik, Vladimir Erl’) may be considered the main representative of the Russian Neo-avant-garde.
Temporal Evolution of Urban Heat Island and Quantitative Relationship with Urbanization Development in Chongqing, China
Authors: Zhang Junmiao , Tian Liu , Lu Jun
Published: September 2022

Urban development always has a strong impact on the urban thermal environment, but it is unclear to what extent urbanization factors influence urban heat island intensity (UHII) in mountainous cities, and fewer studies have been conducted on the trends of long-term UHII in mountainous cities. Chongqing, as the only municipality directly under the central government in Southwest China and a typical mountainous city, is chosen as the case study. This study analyzed the interannual and seasonal variations of UHII based on the data from meteorological stations in Chongqing from 1959 to 2018 using the least-squares method and the Mann–Kendall test, and explored the relationship between urbanization factors (urban resident population, gross domestic product (GDP), fixed investments, and gross industrial output value) and UHII. The results show that the increasing rates of temperature in urban areas of Chongqing are significantly higher than those in rural areas affected by urbanization. Using the Mann–Kendall test, it is found that almost all abrupt temperature changes in Chongqing occurred after the rapid urbanization of Chongqing in the 21st century. The annual mean UHII increased from 0.1 °C to 1.5 °C during the study period, with summer making the largest contribution. It is also found that the UHII in Chongqing has increased year by year, especially after the 1980s. The increasing rates of UHII are larger at night and smaller during the day. The increasing trends of nighttime UHII are statistically significant, while those of daytime UHII are not. In addition, UHII and urbanization factors are found to be correlated using the grey relational analysis (GRA). Eventually, a comprehensive UHII index and a comprehensive urbanization index are constructed using principal component analysis (PCA). A tertiary regression model of UHII and urbanization index is established, which reflects that the UHII in Chongqing will continue to grow rapidly with the development of the city.
Quantification of Urban Methane Emissions: A Combination of Stationary with Mobile Measurements
Authors: Kohler Florian Kurt , Schaller Carsten , Klemm Otto
Published: September 2022

The mixing ratios of methane (CH4) were recorded with high temporal and spatial resolution in Münster, Germany, to identify urban CH4 sources and to quantify the overall inner city CH4 emissions. Both mobile and stationary measurement techniques were employed. The background mixing ratios showed a diurnal cycle with higher values at night under stable stratification conditions. In the industrial park, periodic peaks were detected. Ten mappings of the urban CH4 mixing ratio were made with an instrumented cargo bicycle. Repeated local increases in mixing ratios were found at 13 individual locations. The emission rate was estimated to be 22.0 g h−1 km−1. A total of five leaks from the underground gas distribution network were identified. From the increase in background mixing ratio, the overall source strength of the study area was estimated to be 24.6 g m−2 a−1, which is approximately three times the total CH4 emissions from the city’s most recent emissions report. The contribution of point sources was 0.64 g m−2 a−1, suggesting that significant additional CH4 sources exist within the study area. In the interest of climate protection, there is an urgent need for further research on the urban CH4 sources and emission fluxes in detail.
Evaluation of Extreme Precipitation Indices in Brazil’s Semiarid Region from Satellite Data
Authors: dos Santos Ana Letícia Melo , Gonçalves Weber Andrade , Rodrigues Daniele Tôrres , Andrade Lara de Melo Barbosa , e Silva Claudio Moises Santos
Published: September 2022

Brazil’s semiarid region (SAB) has a heterogeneous precipitation distribution, with the occurrence of periodic droughts and occasional extreme rainfall events. The precipitation monitoring system in this region is insufficient, but remote sensing products can provide information on rainfall in areas with low data coverage. Thus, the main objective of this study was to evaluate 12 extreme precipitation indices calculated using Integrated Multi-Satellite Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement (IMERG) data in comparison with indices calculated from data measured by rain gauges for different SAB locations. To evaluate the IMERG product, we used rainfall data measured by 56 rain gauges during the period from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2020. The satellite product was evaluated through juxtaposition between the IMERG and actual rainfall data, by calculating the statistical indices bias, root-mean-squared error, Spearman correlation, and probability density function. The results showed that most of the extreme precipitation indices were well represented by the satellite data, except for the simple precipitation intensity index (SDII), in which case the correlation coefficient was 0.2. This result can be explained as this index is calculated from the exact value of daily precipitation, while the other indices are estimated by rainfall values above some thresholds. On the other hand, total annual precipitation and precipitation above 1 mm presented Spearman correlation reaching 0.97 in some locations. We conclude that the IMERG database is adequate to represent the maximum precipitation in the Brazilian semiarid region, and the extreme precipitation indices had good performance according to the region where the maximum rain occurred.
Thermal Modelling Utilizing Multiple Experimentally Measurable Parameters
Authors: Mevawalla Anosh , Shabeer Yasmin , Tran Manh Kien , Panchal Satyam , Fowler Michael , Fraser Roydon
Published: September 2022

This paper presents three equivalent thermal circuit models with multiple input parameters, namely, the state of health (SOH), state of charge (SOC), current and temperature. Typical physiochemical models include parameters such as porosity and tortuosity, which are not easily experimentally available; this model allows for model parameters such as the internal impedance to be easily estimated using more practical inputs. The paper models the internal impedance resistance of a LiFePO4 battery at five different ambient temperatures (5, 15, 25, 35, 45 °C), at three different discharge rates (1C, 2C, 3C) and at three different SOHs (90%, 83%, 65%). The internal impedance surface fit experimental measurements with a Pearson coefficient of 0.945. Three thermal models were then created that implemented the internal resistance model. The first two thermal models were 0D models that did not include the influence of the thermal conductivity of the battery. The first model assumed simple heating through internal resistance and convection energy loss, while the second also included the Bernardi Reversible heat term. The final third model was a 2D model that included all previous heat source terms as well as tab heating. The 2D model was solved using a simple Euler method and finite center difference. The R2 values for the 0D thermal models were 0.9964 and 0.9962 for the simple internal resistance and reversible heating models, respectively. The R2 value for the 2D thermal model was 0.996.
Genome-Wide Study of Colocalization between Genomic Stretches: A Method and Applications to the Regulation of Gene Expression
Authors: Kravatsky Yuri V. , Chechetkin Vladimir R. , Tchurikov Nickolai A. , Kravatskaya Galina I.
Published: September 2022

In this paper, we describe a method for the study of colocalization effects between stretch–stretch and stretch–point genome tracks based on a set of indices varying within the (–1, +1) interval. The indices combine the distances between the centers of neighboring stretches and their lengths. The extreme boundaries of the interval correspond to the complete colocalization of the genome tracks or its complete absence. We also obtained the relevant criteria of statistical significance for such indices using the complete permutation test. The method is robust with respect to strongly inhomogeneous positioning and length distribution of the genome tracks. On the basis of this approach, we created command-line software, the Genome Track Colocalization Analyzer. The software was tested, compared with other available packages, and applied to particular problems related to gene expression. The package, Genome Track Colocalization Analyzer (GTCA), is freely available to the users. GTCA complements our previous software, the Genome Track Analyzer, intended for the search for pairwise correlations between point-like genome tracks (also freely available). The corresponding details are provided in Data Availability Statement at the end of the text.
A Different Exosome Secretion Pattern Characterizes Patient-Derived Colorectal Cancer Multicellular Spheroids and Their Mouse Xenografts
Authors: Relucenti Michela , Francescangeli Federica , De Angelis Maria Laura , D’Andrea Vito , Miglietta Selenia , Donfrancesco Orlando , Li Xiaobo , Chen Rui , Zeuner Ann , Familiari Giuseppe
Published: September 2022

Up-to-date in vitro and in vivo preclinical models expressing the patient-specific cancer lineage responsible for CRC and its metastatic behavior and responsiveness to therapy are needed. Exosomes’ role in tumorigenesis and the metastatic process was demonstrated, and the material content and size of the exosomes are associated with a poor prognosis of CRC. Exosomes are generally imagined after their recovery from blood serum as isolated entities, and our work aims to investigate them “in situ” in their native environment by scanning and transmission electron microscopy to understand their secretion modalities. We studied CRC stem cells in patient-derived multicellular tumor spheroids (MTSs) and in their mouse xenograft to find possible differences in terms of exosome amount, size, and secretion site between in vitro and in vivo models. We observed that MTSs’ exosome secretion patterns depend on their structural complexity: few-layer MTSs show a lesser exosome secretion, limited to the apical domain of cancer cells, secretion increases in multilayered MTSs, and it develops from apical and basolateral cancer cells domains. In xenograft models, exosome secretion occurs from all cancer cell domains, and it is quantitatively greater than that observed in MTSs. This difference in exosome secretion pattern between MTSs and xenografts may be due to the influence of surrounding non-tumor cells.
Integrative Analysis of Liver Metabolomics and Transcriptomics Reveals Oxidative Stress in Piglets with Intrauterine Growth Restriction
Authors: Gao Hongmei , Chen Xiaoyou , Zhao Junxing , Xue Zhenhua , Zhang Longchao , Zhao Fuping , Wang Bingyuan , Wang Lixian
Published: September 2022

The correlation between oxidative stress and liver metabolic dysfunction in piglets with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) remains limited. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate potential mechanisms of metabolic characteristics induced by oxidative stress in the livers of IUGR piglets using metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis. Analysis of the phenotypic characteristics showed that the liver weight of the intrauterine growth restriction piglets was significantly lower than that of normal birth weight piglets. Intrauterine growth restriction piglets exhibited disordered hepatic cord arrangement and vacuolization as well as excessive lipid accumulation in hepatocytes. In addition, the activities of antioxidant enzymes were significantly decreased in the liver of the intrauterine growth restriction piglets, whereas the level of the lipid peroxidation marker MDA was significantly increased. Finally, our findings revealed that intrauterine growth restriction piglets were involved in a variety of metabolic abnormalities, including mitochondrial dysfunction, imbalance of fatty acid composition, disruption to sources of one-carbon unit supply, and abnormal galactose conversion, which may be responsible for oxidative stress in the liver. In summary, these data provided a detailed theoretical reference for revealing the hepatic metabolic characteristics of intrauterine growth restriction piglets.
Caenorhabditis elegans as a Model to Study Manganese-Induced Neurotoxicity
Authors: Martins Airton C. , Gubert Priscila , Li Jung , Ke Tao , Nicolai Merle M. , Moura Alexandre Varão , Bornhorst Julia , Bowman Aaron B. , Aschner Michael
Published: September 2022

Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is a nematode present worldwide. The worm shows homology to mammalian systems and expresses approximately 40% of human disease-related genes. Since Dr. Sydney Brenner first proposed C. elegans as an advantageous experimental worm-model system for genetic approaches, increasing numbers of studies using C. elegans as a tool to investigate topics in several fields of biochemistry, neuroscience, pharmacology, and toxicology have been performed. In this regard, C. elegans has been used to characterize the molecular mechanisms and affected pathways caused by metals that lead to neurotoxicity, as well as the pathophysiological interrelationship between metal exposure and ongoing neurodegenerative disorders. Several toxic metals, such as lead, cadmium, and mercury, are recognized as important environmental contaminants, and their exposure is associated with toxic effects on the human body. Essential elements that are required to maintain cellular homeostasis and normal physiological functions may also be toxic when accumulated at higher concentrations. For instance, manganese (Mn) is a trace essential element that participates in numerous biological processes, such as enzymatic activities, energy metabolism, and maintenance of cell functions. However, Mn overexposure is associated with behavioral changes in C. elegans, which are consistent with the dopaminergic system being the primary target of Mn neurotoxicity. Caenorhabditis elegans has been shown to be an important tool that allows for studies on neuron morphology using fluorescent transgenic worms. Moreover, behavioral tests may be conducted using worms, and neurotransmitter determination and related gene expression are likely to change after Mn exposure. Likewise, mutant worms may be used to study molecular mechanisms in Mn toxicity, as well as the expression of proteins responsible for the biosynthesis, transport, storage, and uptake of dopamine. Furthermore, this review highlights some advantages and limitations of using the experimental model of C. elegans and provides guidance for potential future applications of this model in studies directed toward assessing for Mn neurotoxicity and related mechanisms.
Effects of Parental Internalizing and Externalizing Behavior Problems on Children’s Limbic Brain Structures—An MRI Study
Authors: Albar Zainab , Sattar Abdus
Published: September 2022

Parental behavior problems have long-term effects on children’s limbic brain structures and functions. Parental behavior problems-related brain changes in children may lead to mental disorders and behavior dysfunction later in life. However, our understanding of the relationship between parental behavior and children’s brain structures is less obvious when children and adolescents are studied in a general population without mental disorders. The majority of studies on the relationship between parental behavior and adolescent brain structure have been focused on severe forms of the following parental behavior problems: (1) internalizing behavior associated with mood and anxiety disorders, and (2) externalizing behavior associated with substance use and violence. A few studies examined the effect of normative variations or subtle differences in parental behavior. Therefore, we utilized a large study—Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD)—to determine relationships between normative variation in parental internalizing and externalizing behavior and limbic brain structures in children and adolescents without mental disorders. Quantile (median) regression models were used to compute associations between parental behavior and children’s limbic structures. We found that parental internalizing and externalizing behaviors are uniquely associated with children’s limbic structures after adjustment for biological confounders and parental socioeconomic status. Our findings indicate that normative parental behavior may have a significant early influence on limbic structures of normally developing children and adolescents. Accelerated or delayed limbic structure maturation may account for children’s and adolescents’ behavioral inadequacies and a risk of developing specific mood disorders or substance abuse problems later in life.
Developing a Non-Pharmacological Intervention Programme for Wandering in People with Dementia: Recommendations for Healthcare Providers in Nursing Homes
Authors: Wang Jing , Zhang Ge , Min Min , Xing Ying , Chen Hongli , Li Cheng , Li Caifu , Zhou Hanhan , Li Xianwen
Published: September 2022

Background: Wandering among people with dementia (PwD) is associated with a high risk of injury and death. The stigma of dementia prevents Chinese dementia families from seeking information and support earlier, which increases the demand for long-term care facilities. Despite universal recognition of the importance of care facilities, healthcare providers in care facilities still lack the relevant nursing knowledge and skills, including non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) that have been proven to be effective in preventing wandering. Systematic and culturally appropriate NPI programmes for healthcare providers to manage wandering among PwD in long-term care facilities are still lacking. We aimed to develop an evidence-based and culturally appropriate NPI programme for wandering in PwD to guide healthcare providers in nursing homes to prevent wandering and its adverse outcomes. Methods: The NPI programme was developed according to the framework of the Belgian Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBAM). We, (1) performed a systematic literature search to summarize the available evidence, (2) developed evidence-based recommendations for the NPI programme based on the existing evidence, and (3) carried out a validation process to revise the content of the recommendations and to determine the grades of recommendations, including group meetings with experts and a survey for end-users. Results: Based on 22 publications and validation from 7 experts and 76 end users, we developed 21 recommendations covering 4 domains: (1) caregiver education, (2) preventing excessive wandering, (3) promoting safe walking, and (4) preventing people with dementia from going missing. We created almost all recommendations of the four domains with accompanying levels of evidence and grades of recommendations. Conclusions: By combining the evidence with expert and end-user opinions, a comprehensive NPI programme was developed to support institutional healthcare providers to prevent wandering and its adverse outcomes. The benefits of this programme are currently being tested.