bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Proximate and Ultimate Perspectives on Romantic Love
Authors: Bode Adam , Kushnick Geoff
Published: April 2021

Romantic love is a phenomenon of immense interest to the general public as well as to scholars in several disciplines. It is known to be present in almost all human societies and has been studied from a number of perspectives. In this integrative review, we bring together what is known about romantic love using Tinbergen’s “four questions” framework originating from evolutionary biology. Under the first question, related to mechanisms, we show that it is caused by social, psychological mate choice, genetic, neural, and endocrine mechanisms. The mechanisms regulating psychopathology, cognitive biases, and animal models provide further insights into the mechanisms that regulate romantic love. Under the second question, related to development, we show that romantic love exists across the human lifespan in both sexes. We summarize what is known about its development and the internal and external factors that influence it. We consider cross-cultural perspectives and raise the issue of evolutionary mismatch. Under the third question, related to function, we discuss the fitness-relevant benefits and costs of romantic love with reference to mate choice, courtship, sex, and pair-bonding. We outline three possible selective pressures and contend that romantic love is a suite of adaptions and by-products. Under the fourth question, related to phylogeny, we summarize theories of romantic love’s evolutionary history and show that romantic love probably evolved in concert with pair-bonds in our recent ancestors. We describe the mammalian antecedents to romantic love and the contribution of genes and culture to the expression of modern romantic love. We advance four potential scenarios for the evolution of romantic love. We conclude by summarizing what Tinbergen’s four questions tell us, highlighting outstanding questions as avenues of potential future research, and suggesting a novel ethologically informed working definition to accommodate the multi-faceted understanding of romantic love advanced in this review.
Fear of Cancer Recurrence, Health Anxiety, Worry, and Uncertainty: A Scoping Review About Their Conceptualization and Measurement Within Breast Cancer Survivorship Research
Authors: Maheu Christine , Singh Mina , Tock Wing Lam , Eyrenci Asli , Galica Jacqueline , Hébert Maude , Frati Francesca , Estapé Tania
Published: April 2021

Objective:Fear of Cancer Recurrence (FCR), Health Anxiety (HA), worry, and uncertainty in illness are psychological concerns commonly faced by cancer patients. In survivorship research, these similar, yet different constructs are frequently used interchangeably and multiple instruments are used in to measure them. The lack of clear and consistent conceptualization and measurement can lead to diverse or contradictory interpretations. The purpose of this scoping review was to review, compare, and analyze the current conceptualization and measurements used for FCR, HA, worry, and uncertainty in the breast cancer survivorship literature to improve research and practice.

Inclusion Criteria:We considered quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods studies of breast cancer survivors that examined FCR, HA, worry, or uncertainty in illness as a main topic and included a definition or assessment of the constructs.

Methods and Analysis:The six-staged framework was used to guide the scoping review process. Searches of PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases were conducted. The principle-based qualitative analysis and simultaneous content analysis procedures were employed to synthesize and map the findings.

Findings:After duplicate removal, the search revealed 3,299 articles, of which 82 studies met the inclusion criteria. Several critical attributes overlapped the four constructs, for example, all were triggered by internal somatic and external cues. However, several unique attributes were found (e.g., a sense of loss of security in the body is observed only among survivors experiencing FCR). Overall, findings showed that FCR and uncertainty in illness are more likely to be triggered by cancer-specific factors, while worry and HA have more trait-like in terms of characteristics, theoretical features, and correlates. We found that the measures used to assess each construct were on par with their intended constructs. Eighteen approaches were used to measure FCR, 15 for HA, 8 for worry, and 4 for uncertainty.

Conclusion:While consensus on the conceptualization and measurement of the four constructs has not yet been reached, this scoping review identifies key similarities and differences to aid in their selection and measurement. Considering the observed overlap between the four studied constructs, further research delineating the unique attributes for each construct is warranted.
How the Concept of Dignity Is Relevant to the Study of Energy Poverty and Energy Justice
Authors: Grossmann Katrin , Trubina Elena
Published: April 2021

Since the concept of energy poverty first emerged, studies have combined normative orientations, analytical approaches and policy review to engage with energy deprivation as a problematic feature of contemporary societies. Over the past decade, this scholarship has aimed to conceptualize the normative grounds for critique, empirical work and policy design when engaging with the interplay of social life and energy systems. Scholars now include dynamic and complex concepts such as energy vulnerability and energy deprivation and are shifting toward the incorporation of social-philosophical justice concepts. However, in most of these writings on energy equality or energy justice, material aspects like access to (clean) energy, affordable energy costs, and material deprivation are in the foreground. This resonates with the energy poverty literature's emphasis on energy poverty as a material deprivation (Longhurst and Hargreaves, 2019). The way that energy poverty can result in financial stress, cold homes, poor health and the need to cut other basic expenditures is well-explored, but the less tangible, non-material deprivations stemming from energy poverty are less well-captured. We instead find it beneficial to also focus on the less tangible, non-material deprivations which have not yet been captured conceptually, and argue that the concept of dignity can be a pathway to investigate them. We aim to demonstrate how “dignity” can add to the normative orientations of energy poverty and energy justice research, and complement existing frames. With an empirical position in Europe we will draw from own empirical data and existing literature to illustrate how households living in energy poverty, or being cut off from energy provision, experience dignity violations.
How Universities Have Betrayed Reason and Humanity—And What's to Be Done About It
Authors: Maxwell Nicholas
Published: April 2021

In 1984 the author publishedFrom Knowledge to Wisdom, a book that argues that a revolution in academia is urgently needed, so that problems of living, including global problems, are put at the heart of the enterprise, and the basic aim becomes to seek and promote wisdom, and not just acquire knowledge. Every discipline and aspect of academia needs to change, and the whole way in which academia is related to the rest of the social world. Universities devoted to the pursuit of knowledge and technological know-how betray reason and, as a result, betray humanity. As a result of becoming more intellectually rigorous, academic inquiry becomes of far greater benefit to humanity. If the revolution argued for all those years ago had been taken up and put into academic practice, we might now live in a much more hopeful world than the one that confronts us. Humanity might have begun to learn how to solve global problems; the Amazon rain forests might not face destruction; we might not be faced with mass extinction of species; Brexit might not have been voted for in the UK in 2016, and Trump might not have been elected President in the USA. An account is given of work published by the author during the years 1972–2021 that expounds and develops the argument. The conclusion is that we urgently need to create a high-profile campaign devoted to transforming universities in the way required so that humanity may learn how to make social progress toward a better, wiser, more civilized, enlightened world.
Impact of Environmentally Relevant Concentrations of Glyphosate and 2,4-D Commercial Formulations on Nostoc sp. N1 and Oryza sativa L. Rice Seedlings
Authors: Tansay Suwakan , Issakul Kritchaya , Ngearnpat Neti , Chunhachart Orawan , Thuptimdang Pumis
Published: April 2021

Wide applications of glyphosate and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) in rice paddy fields could lead to their residues in environment, posing adverse effects on rice growth and primary producers in the rice ecosystem. This research aims to determine the effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of glyphosate and 2,4-D commercial formulations on Nostoc sp. N1 and rice seedlings. The effects of herbicides on Nostoc sp. N1 were measured from the growth and acute toxicity. The germination and growth were used to determine the effects of herbicides on rice seedlings by measuring their physical and biochemical characteristics. Results showed that while glyphosate had higher toxicity than 2,4-D, both herbicides could stimulate the growth of Nostoc sp. N1 as indicated by their increase in biomass and chlorophyll a content. In Petri dish experiments, Nostoc sp. N1 cells not only promoted the germination of rice seedlings when added alone, but they also alleviated the toxicity of both herbicides to the rice seedlings. In pot experiments, the addition of Nostoc sp. N1 cells combined with herbicides promoted the biochemical characteristics of the rice seedlings by increasing the total chlorophyll, carotenoid and total amino acid content. Our results suggested that environmentally relevant concentrations of glyphosate and 2,4-D formulations should not pose any adverse effects on Nostoc sp. N1. Also, with their toxicity-mitigating and growth-promoting effects on rice seedlings, Nostoc sp. N1 cells could be applied in the alleviation of herbicide residue toxicity in paddy fields.
Effects of the Latex of Synadenium grantii Hook F. (Euphorbiaceae) on a Preclinical Model of Canine Prostate Cancer
Authors: Brito Eric Saymom Andrade , Prado Laís Di Paulie Taborda , Araújo Liana Késia Costa , Arnhold Emmanuel , Matos Moema Pacheco Chediak , de Paula Joelma Abadia Marciano , Ramos Luciana Machado , Fonseca-Alves Carlos Eduardo , de Moura Veridiana Maria Brianezi Dignani
Published: April 2021

Prostatic cancer (PC) stands out in terms of its occurrence, pathophysiology, and unfavorable prognostics in humans and dogs. Natural drugs bear an integrative potential for conventional antineoplastic treatments. In this context, the bioproducts of Synadenium grantii have been empirically used in different parts of Brazil for the integrative treatment of prostate cancer in humans. However, there is no availability of scientific evidence of the antitumor effects of S. grantii. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the bioactive compounds in the latex of S. grantii using the high-resolution mass spectrophotometry (HRMS) and to evaluate its cytotoxic effects on primary canine PC cell cultures. Four fragments of phorbol ester were identified as potential bioactive compounds using the HRMS. With the help of an MTT ([3-(4,5-dimethyldiazol-2-yl)-2,5 diphenyltetrazolium bromide]) assay, two canine prostatic carcinoma cell lines (PC 1 and PC2) showed a decrease in the tumor cell count, with an Inhibitory concentration 50 (IC50)of 0.8469 and 0.6068 mg/ml, respectively, for PC1 and PC2. In conclusion, the latex of S. grantii contains phorbol esters in its composition, and its aqueous solution has a cytotoxic effect on canine metastatic PC cells in vitro.
AI-Powered Mobile Image Acquisition of Vineyard Insect Traps with Automatic Quality and Adequacy Assessment
Authors: Faria Pedro , Nogueira Telmo , Ferreira Ana , Carlos Cristina , Rosado Luís
Published: April 2021

The increasing alarming impacts of climate change are already apparent in viticulture, with unexpected pest outbreaks as one of the most concerning consequences. The monitoring of pests is currently done by deploying chromotropic and delta traps, which attracts insects present in the production environment, and then allows human operators to identify and count them. While the monitoring of these traps is still mostly done through visual inspection by the winegrowers, smartphone image acquisition of those traps is starting to play a key role in assessing the pests’ evolution, as well as enabling the remote monitoring by taxonomy specialists in better assessing the onset outbreaks. This paper presents a new methodology that embeds artificial intelligence into mobile devices to establish the use of hand-held image capture of insect traps for pest detection deployed in vineyards. Our methodology combines different computer vision approaches that improve several aspects of image capture quality and adequacy, namely: (i) image focus validation; (ii) shadows and reflections validation; (iii) trap type detection; (iv) trap segmentation; and (v) perspective correction. A total of 516 images were collected, divided into three different datasets and manually annotated, in order to support the development and validation of the different functionalities. By following this approach, we achieved an accuracy of 84% for focus detection, an accuracy of 80% and 96% for shadows/reflections detection (for delta and chromotropic traps, respectively), as well as mean Jaccard index of 97% for the trap’s segmentation.
Exogenously Applied Polyamines Reduce Reactive Oxygen Species, Enhancing Cell Division and the Shoot Regeneration from Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata Protoplasts
Authors: Kiełkowska Agnieszka , Adamus Adela
Published: April 2021

Polyamines (PAs) are organic molecules that are found in plants and animals. In plants, they are involved in the regulation of cellular growth, apoptosis, rooting, flower development, and stress responses. The effect of exogenously applied polyamines on the development of Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata protoplast cultures was studied. Protoplasts were isolated from hypocotyls of 2-week-old seedlings of three accessions and they were cultured in liquid media supplemented with putrescine (Put), spermidine (Spd), and spermine (Spm) at concentrations of 0 (control), 10, 20, and 40 µM. In the very early culture (24 and 48 h), cellular reactive oxygen species levels (ROS) in live cells were monitored using a fluorescent probe. The Put- and Spd-treated protoplasts exhibited lower fluorescence intensities, which corresponded to lower ROS accumulation as compared to the PA-free control. The protoplast viability was affected by the type of polyamine applied rather than its concentration. Put and Spd had a beneficial effect on the mitotic activity of the cultured cells, which was observed in all tested accessions. The highest frequency of shoot organogenesis (21%) was obtained from microcalli derived from the protoplasts cultured on the medium supplemented with 10 µM Put. Analysis of the ploidy level of the regenerants showed that the vast majority were diploids. Our results demonstrated that exogenously applied PAs maintained the viability of B. oleracea L. var. capitata protoplasts by alleviating oxidative stress and stimulating mitotic activity, which further affected the plant regeneration process.
Metabonomic Profiling Analyses Reveal ANS Upregulation to Enhance the Flavonoid Pathway of Purple-Fleshed Sweet Potato Storage Root in Response to Deep Shading
Authors: He Ying , Zhu Dan , Sun Yujun , Wang Qian , Zhu Lan , Zeng Hanlai
Published: April 2021

Intercropping, as a common worldwide cultivation pattern, provides opportunities for sustainable agriculture with fuller use of light, temperature and land resources and greater yield per unit of land. The intercropping impact on crop quality is a current focus. This study found that shading cultivation of purple-fleshed sweet potato can improve the storage root pigment accumulation by more than 20% to increase economic benefits. We performed gas chromatography and mass spectrometry analysis of storage roots of the anthocyanin-enriched cultivar Jihei-1 under 60% shading and nonshaded treatments. A total of 224 differential metabolites were identified, among which N-acetyl-5-hydroxytryptamine, 1-monopalmitin, 4-pyridoxic acid, dodecano, arbutin, tryptophan, citrulline and phenylalanine were significantly upregulated under shading with a more than 10-fold change. Furthermore, metabolic pathway enrichment maps were based on the biological processes and stratification level selected. These metabolites mainly influenced the pathways of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, the citrate cycle, organic acid biosynthesis and metabolism and amino acid metabolism. Through tissue-specific dynamic changes in amino acids, soluble sugars, starch and anthocyanins during storage root development, we proposed a variety-specific strategy of purple-fleshed sweet potato in response to prolonged deep shading, that is, utilizing and enhancing broad aboveground-tissue photosynthesis and transferring photosynthates into roots in advance, leading to a rapid increase in storage root anthocyanin synthesis. With comprehensive qPCR, western blot and enzyme activity analyses, we identified three key enzymes, CHS, ANS and 3GT, in purple-fleshed sweet potato storage roots in response to shading, which affect the root anthocyanin content by influencing the flavonoid metabolism pathway. This study provides a theoretical basis for revealing the regulation of anthocyanin synthesis in crops and a guidance for high-quality sweet potato cultivation and nutritional improvement using shade facilities.
The Food Anti-Microbials β-Phenylethylamine (-HCl) and Ethyl Acetoacetate Do Not Change during the Heating Process
Authors: Horne Shelley M. , Ugrinov Angel , Prüβ Birgit M.
Published: April 2021

β-Phenylethylamine hydrochloride (PEA-HCl) and ethyl acetoacetate (EAA) are anti-microbials with applications in food processing. As food anti-microbials, the compounds will have to withstand the cooking process without changing to toxic compounds. With this Communication, we address the question of whether PEA and EAA are altered when heated to 73.9 °C or 93.3 °C. A combination of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry was used to analyze solutions of PEA(-HCl) or EAA in beef broth or water. In addition, the anti-microbial activity of PEA-HCl and EAA was compared between heated and unheated samples at a range of concentrations. The gas chromatograms of PEA(-HCl) and EAA showed one peak at early retention times that did not differ between the heated and unheated samples. The mass spectra for PEA and EAA were near identical to those from a spectral database and did not show any differences between the heated and unheated samples. We conclude that PEA(-HCl) and EAA formed pure solutions and were not altered during the heating process. In addition, the anti-microbial activity of PEA-HCl and EAA did not change after the heating of the compounds. Regardless of temperature, the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for PEA-HCl were 20.75 mmol mL−1 for Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium. For EAA, the MICs were 23.4 mmol mL−1 for E. coli and 15.6 mmol mL−1 for S. enterica.
Combining Functional Genomics and Whole-Genome Sequencing to Detect Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Bacterial Strains Co-Occurring Simultaneously in a Brazilian Hospital
Authors: Borelli Tiago Cabral , Lovate Gabriel Lencioni , Scaranello Ana Flavia Tonelli , Ribeiro Lucas Ferreira , Zaramela Livia , Pereira-dos-Santos Felipe Marcelo , Silva-Rocha Rafael , Guazzaroni María-Eugenia
Published: April 2021

(1) Background: The rise of multi-antibiotic resistant bacteria represents an emergent threat to human health. Here, we investigate antibiotic resistance mechanisms in bacteria of several species isolated from an intensive care unit in Brazil. (2) Methods: We used whole-genome analysis to identify antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and plasmids in 34 strains of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, providing the first genomic description of Morganella morganii and Ralstonia mannitolilytica clinical isolates from South America. (3) Results: We identified a high abundance of beta-lactamase genes in resistant organisms, including seven extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (OXA-1, OXA-10, CTX-M-1, KPC, TEM, HYDRO, BLP) shared between organisms from different species. Additionally, we identified several ARG-carrying plasmids indicating the potential for a fast transmission of resistance mechanism between bacterial strains. Furthermore, we uncovered two pairs of (near) identical plasmids exhibiting multi-drug resistance. Finally, since many highly resistant strains carry several different ARGs, we used functional genomics to investigate which of them were indeed functional. In this sense, for three bacterial strains (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and M. morganii), we identified six beta-lactamase genes out of 15 predicted in silico as those mainly responsible for the resistance mechanisms observed, corroborating the existence of redundant resistance mechanisms in these organisms. (4) Conclusions: Systematic studies similar to the one presented here should help to prevent outbreaks of novel multidrug-resistant bacteria in healthcare facilities.
Unknown Renal Impairment: A Rare Case of Inhaled Tobramycin Induced Acute Kidney Injury in a Cystic Fibrosis Patient
Authors: Miller Tyler , Pastuch Cristina , Garavaglia Lisa , Gannon Kelley , Parravani Anthony
Published: April 2021

Acute kidney injury is a reversible medical condition commonly caused by nephrotoxic agents. The infrequency that a nebulized medication elicits a renal insult presents a rare diagnostic challenge. Within this case, we report a 57-year-old cystic fibrosis patient with chronic kidney disease (CKD) Stage G3b (baseline 1.5–1.6 mg/dL) who developed an acute kidney injury (AKI) with a serum creatinine elevation to 4.08 mg/dL and associated worsening vestibular dysfunction related to twice-daily nebulized tobramycin inhalation solution (TIS). The patient was found to have a tobramycin serum level of 4.2 μg/mL 2.5 h after TIS dosing, with elevation remaining present at 1.1 μg/mL 24 h after discontinuation of therapy. Laboratory values at one month continued to show elevated creatinine levels at 2.1 mg/dL, suggesting progression of his baseline CKD. This case supports the benefit of obtaining tobramycin serum levels and vestibular/audiology function testing when evaluating patients on chronic nebulized TIS who present with acute or chronic renal dysfunction. From these serum levels, adjustments to daily dosing, regular monitoring of tobramycin serum levels, or discontinuation of treatment should be made to prevent permanent renal damage in patients with CKD. Calculated Naranjo ADR Probability Scale: 9; Definite.
Rejuvenated Stem/Progenitor Cells for Cartilage Repair Using the Pluripotent Stem Cell Technology
Authors: Nakayama Naoki , Ravuri Sudheer , Huard Johnny
Published: April 2021

It is widely accepted that chondral defects in articular cartilage of adult joints are never repaired spontaneously, which is considered to be one of the major causes of age-related degenerative joint disorders, such as osteoarthritis. Since mobilization of subchondral bone (marrow) cells and addition of chondrocytes or mesenchymal stromal cells into full-thickness defects show some degrees of repair, the lack of self-repair activity in adult articular cartilage can be attributed to lack of reparative cells in adult joints. In contrast, during a fetal or embryonic stage, joint articular cartilage has a scar-less repair activity, suggesting that embryonic joints may contain cells responsible for such activity, which can be chondrocytes, chondroprogenitors, or other cell types such as skeletal stem cells. In this respect, the tendency of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) to give rise to cells of embryonic characteristics will provide opportunity, especially for humans, to obtain cells carrying similar cartilage self-repair activity. Making use of PSC-derived cells for cartilage repair is still in a basic or preclinical research phase. This review will provide brief overviews on how human PSCs have been used for cartilage repair studies.
Update on Genetics of Primary Aldosteronism
Authors: Itcho Kiyotaka , Oki Kenji , Ohno Haruya , Yoneda Masayasu
Published: April 2021

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is the most common form of secondary hypertension, with a prevalence of 5–10% among patients with hypertension. PA is mainly classified into two subtypes: aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) and bilateral idiopathic hyperaldosteronism. Recent developments in genetic analysis have facilitated the discovery of mutations in KCNJ5, ATP1A1, ATP2B3, CACNA1D, CACNA1H, CLCN2, and CTNNB1 in sporadic or familial forms of PA in the last decade. These findings have greatly advanced our understanding of the mechanism of excess aldosterone synthesis, particularly in APA. Most of the causative genes encode ion channels or pumps, and their mutations lead to depolarization of the cell membrane due to impairment of ion transport. Depolarization activates voltage-gated Ca2+ channels and intracellular calcium signaling and promotes the transcription of aldosterone synthase, resulting in overproduction of aldosterone. In this article, we review recent findings on the genetic and molecular mechanisms of PA.
Gene Module Analysis Reveals Cell-Type Specificity and Potential Target Genes in Autism’s Pathogenesis
Authors: Ji Guoli , Li Shuchao , Ye Lishan , Guan Jinting
Published: April 2021

Multiple genetic factors contribute to the pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a kind of neurodevelopmental disorder. Genes were usually studied separately for their associations with ASD. However, genes associated with ASD do not act alone but interact with each other in a network module. The identification of these modules is the basis for the systematic understanding of the pathogenesis of ASD. Moreover, ASD is characterized by highly pathogenic heterogeneity, and gene modules associated with ASD are cell-type-specific. In this study, based on the single-nucleus RNA sequencing data of 41 post-mortem tissue samples from the prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex of 19 ASD patients and 16 control individuals, we applied sparse module activity factorization, a matrix decomposition method consistent with the multi-factor and heterogeneous characteristics of ASD pathogenesis, to identify cell-type-specific gene modules. Then, statistical procedures were performed to detect highly reproducible cell-type-specific ASD-associated gene modules. Through the enrichment analysis of cell markers, 31 cell-type-specific gene modules related to ASD were further screened out. These 31 gene modules are all enriched with curated ASD risk genes. Finally, we utilized the expression patterns of these cell-type-specific ASD-associated gene modules to build predictive models for ASD. The excellent predictive performance also proved the associations between these gene modules and ASD. Our study confirmed the multifactorial and cell-type-specific characteristics of ASD pathogeneses. The results showed that excitatory neurons such as L2/3, L4, and L5/6-CC play essential roles in ASD’s pathogenic processes. We identified the potential ASD target genes that act together in cell-type-specific modules, such as NRG3, KCNIP4, BAI3, PTPRD, LRRTM4, and LINGO2 in the L2/3 gene modules. Our study offers new potential genomic targets for ASD and provides a novel method to study gene modules involved in the pathogenesis of ASD.
Animal Venoms—Curse or Cure?
Authors: Herzig Volker
Published: April 2021

An estimated 15% of animals are venomous, with representatives spread across the majority of animal lineages. Animals use venoms for various purposes, such as prey capture and predator deterrence. Humans have always been fascinated by venomous animals in a Janus-faced way. On the one hand, humans have a deeply rooted fear of venomous animals. This is boosted by their largely negative image in public media and the fact that snakes alone cause an annual global death toll in the hundreds of thousands, with even more people being left disabled or disfigured. Consequently, snake envenomation has recently been reclassified by the World Health Organization as a neglected tropical disease. On the other hand, there has been a growth in recent decades in the global scene of enthusiasts keeping venomous snakes, spiders, scorpions, and centipedes in captivity as pets. Recent scientific research has focussed on utilising animal venoms and toxins for the benefit of humanity in the form of molecular research tools, novel diagnostics and therapeutics, biopesticides, or anti-parasitic treatments. Continued research into developing efficient and safe antivenoms and promising discoveries of beneficial effects of animal toxins is further tipping the scales in favour of the “cure” rather than the “curse” prospect of venoms.
Undesirable Status of Prostate Cancer Cells after Intensive Inhibition of AR Signaling: Post-AR Era of CRPC Treatment
Authors: Makino Tomoyuki , Izumi Kouji , Mizokami Atsushi
Published: April 2021

Recent advances in prostate cancer (PC) research unveiled real androgen receptor (AR) functions in castration-resistant PC (CRPC). Moreover, AR still accelerates PC cell proliferation via the activation of several mechanisms (e.g., mutation, variants, and amplifications in CRPC). New-generation AR signaling-targeted agents, inhibiting extremely the activity of AR, were developed based on these incontrovertible mechanisms of AR-induced CRPC progression. However, long-term administration of AR signaling-targeted agents subsequently induces the major problem that AR (complete)-independent CRPC cells present neither AR nor prostate-specific antigen, including neuroendocrine differentiation as a subtype of AR-independent CRPC. Moreover, there are few treatments effective for AR-independent CRPC with solid evidence. This study focuses on the transformation mechanisms of AR-independent from AR-dependent CRPC cells and potential treatment strategy for AR-independent CRPC and discusses them based on a review of basic and clinical literature.
Drift Compensation on Massive Online Electronic-Nose Responses
Authors: Cao Jianhua , Liu Tao , Chen Jianjun , Yang Tao , Zhu Xiuxiu , Wang Hongjin
Published: April 2021

Gas sensor drift is an important issue of electronic nose (E-nose) systems. This study follows this concern under the condition that requires an instant drift compensation with massive online E-nose responses. Recently, an active learning paradigm has been introduced to such condition. However, it does not consider the “noisy label” problem caused by the unreliability of its labeling process in real applications. Thus, we have proposed a class-label appraisal methodology and associated active learning framework to assess and correct the noisy labels. To evaluate the performance of the proposed methodologies, we used the datasets from two E-nose systems. The experimental results show that the proposed methodology helps the E-noses achieve higher accuracy with lower computation than the reference methods do. Finally, we can conclude that the proposed class-label appraisal mechanism is an effective means of enhancing the robustness of active learning-based E-nose drift compensation.
Regulation of Serum Sodium Levels during Chemotherapy Using Selective Arginine Vasopressin V2-Receptor Antagonist Tolvaptan in a Four-Year-Old Girl with a Suprasellar Germ Cell Tumor
Authors: Hiroshima Shota , Nyuzuki Hiromi , Sasaki Sunao , Ogawa Yohei , Nagasaki Keisuke
Published: April 2021

There are limited reports on the use of tolvaptan for syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) in children. Managing serum sodium levels in SIADH patients during chemotherapy is often difficult because of the need for massive fluid infusions. We report the course of the use of tolvaptan for the treatment of hyponatremia during chemotherapy in a four-year-old girl with a suprasellar germ cell tumor. The patient was a Japanese girl who presented with left ptosis with a mass in the pituitary gland and cavernous sinus. She was diagnosed with an intermediate-grade germ cell tumor and was treated with carboplatin and etoposide combination chemotherapy. She developed hyponatremia due to SIADH caused by intravenous infusion therapy before chemotherapy. Subsequently, tolvaptan (3.25 mg; 0.20 mg/kg/dose) was administered orally to control serum sodium levels. After 4 h of administration, a marked increase in urine volume of up to 15 mL/kg/h was observed, and serum sodium level increased from 126 to 138 mEq/L after 10 h of tolvaptan administration, followed by a decrease in urine volume. The use of tolvaptan in pediatric patients with SIADH who require intravenous hydration during chemotherapy can be useful for the management of serum sodium balance.
The Influence of Thickness on the Magnetic Properties of Nanocrystalline Thin Films: A Computational Approach
Authors: Agudelo-Giraldo Jose Darío , Jiménez-García Francy Nelly , Restrepo-Parra Elisabeth
Published: April 2021

A study of the magnetic behaviour of polycrystalline thin films as a function of their thickness is presented in this work. The grain volume was kept approximately constant in the virtual samples. The model includes the exchange interaction, magneto-crystalline anisotropy, surface anisotropy, boundary grain anisotropy, dipolar interaction, and Zeeman effect. The thickness-dependence of the critical temperature, blocking temperature, and irreversibility temperature are presented. Surface anisotropy exerts a great influence at very low thicknesses, producing a monodomain regime. As the thickness increases, the dipolar interaction produces a coupling in-plane of single domains per grain which favours superparamagnetic states. At higher thicknesses, the effects of the in-plane anisotropy produced by dipolar interaction and surface anisotropy decrease dramatically. As a result, the superparamagnetic states present three-dimensional local anisotropies by the grain.
Satisfaction among Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Institutional Experience
Authors: Di Lalla Vanessa , Patrick Haley , Siriani-Ayoub Nicolas , Kildea John , Hijal Tarek , Alfieri Joanne
Published: April 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted oncology practices to prioritize patient safety while maintaining necessary treatment delivery. We obtained patient feedback on pandemic-based practices in our radiotherapy department to improve quality of patient care and amend policies as needed. We developed a piloted questionnaire which quantitatively and qualitatively assessed patients’ pandemic-related concerns and satisfaction with specific elements of their care. Adult patients who were treated at our Centre between 23 March and 31 May 2020, had initial consultation via telemedicine, and received at least five outpatient fractions of radiotherapy were invited to complete the survey by telephone or online. Relative frequencies of categorical and ordinal responses were then calculated. Fifty-three (48%) out of 110 eligible patients responded: 32 patients by phone and 21 patients online. Eighteen participants (34%) admitted to feeling anxious about hospital appointments, and only five (9%) reported treatment delays. Forty-eight patients (91%) reported satisfaction with their initial telemedicine appointment. The majority of patients indicated that healthcare workers took appropriate precautions, making them feel safe. Overall, all 53 patients (100%) reported being satisfied with their treatment experience during the pandemic. Patient feedback is needed to provide the highest quality of patient care as we adapt to the current reality.
Diagnostic Immunohistochemistry of Soft Tissue and Bone Tumors: An Update on Biomarkers That Correlate with Molecular Alterations
Authors: Anderson William J. , Jo Vickie Y.
Published: April 2021

The diagnosis of benign and malignant soft tissue and bone neoplasms is a challenging area of surgical pathology, due to the large number, rarity, and histologic diversity of tumor types. In recent years, diagnosis and classification has been aided substantially by our growing understanding of recurrent molecular alterations in these neoplasms. Concurrently, the role of diagnostic immunohistochemistry has also expanded, with the development of numerous biomarkers based on underlying molecular events. Such biomarkers allow us to infer the presence of these events and can therefore substitute for other ancillary molecular genetic techniques (e.g., fluorescence in situ hybridization, polymerase chain reaction, and next-generation sequencing). In this review, we discuss a range of biomarkers currently available for these neoplasms, highlighting the accuracy, staining characteristics, and interpretation pitfalls of each antibody. These include immunohistochemical antibodies that represent reliable surrogates for the detection of gene fusions (e.g., STAT6, CAMTA1, FOSB, DDIT3) and more recently described breakpoint-specific antibodies (e.g., SS18-SSX, PAX3/7-FOXO1). Additionally, discussed are markers that correlate with the presence of gene amplifications (e.g., MDM2, CDK4), deletions (e.g., SMARCB1, SMARCA4), single nucleotide variants (e.g., G34W, K36M), aberrant methylation (H3K27me3), and increased expression as discovered through gene expression profiling (e.g., MUC4, DOG1, ETV4, NKX2.2, NKX3.1).
Improving the Retrieval of Arabic Web Search Results Using Enhanced k-Means Clustering Algorithm
Authors: Alsuhaim Amjad F. , Azmi Aqil M. , Hussain Muhammad
Published: April 2021

Traditional information retrieval systems return a ranked list of results to a user’s query. This list is often long, and the user cannot explore all the results retrieved. It is also ineffective for a highly ambiguous language such as Arabic. The modern writing style of Arabic excludes the diacritical marking, without which Arabic words become ambiguous. For a search query, the user has to skim over the document to infer if the word has the same meaning they are after, which is a time-consuming task. It is hoped that clustering the retrieved documents will collate documents into clear and meaningful groups. In this paper, we use an enhanced k-means clustering algorithm, which yields a faster clustering time than the regular k-means. The algorithm uses the distance calculated from previous iterations to minimize the number of distance calculations. We propose a system to cluster Arabic search results using the enhanced k-means algorithm, labeling each cluster with the most frequent word in the cluster. This system will help Arabic web users identify each cluster’s topic and go directly to the required cluster. Experimentally, the enhanced k-means algorithm reduced the execution time by 60% for the stemmed dataset and 47% for the non-stemmed dataset when compared to the regular k-means, while slightly improving the purity.
A New Method Based on Time-Varying Filtering Intrinsic Time-Scale Decomposition and General Refined Composite Multiscale Sample Entropy for Rolling-Bearing Feature Extraction
Authors: Ma Jianpeng , Han Song , Li Chengwei , Zhan Liwei , Zhang Guang-zhu
Published: April 2021

The early fault diagnosis of rolling bearings has always been a difficult problem due to the interference of strong noise. This paper proposes a new method of early fault diagnosis for rolling bearings with entropy participation. First, a new signal decomposition method is proposed in this paper: intrinsic time-scale decomposition based on time-varying filtering. It is introduced into the framework of complete ensemble intrinsic time-scale decomposition with adaptive noise (CEITDAN). Compared with traditional intrinsic time-scale decomposition, intrinsic time-scale decomposition based on time-varying filtering can improve frequency-separation performance. It has strong robustness in the presence of noise interference. However, decomposition parameters (the bandwidth threshold and B-spline order) have significant impacts on the decomposition results of this method, and they need to be artificially set. Aiming to address this problem, this paper proposes rolling-bearing fault diagnosis optimization based on an improved coyote optimization algorithm (COA). First, the minimal generalized refined composite multiscale sample entropy parameter was used as the objective function. Through the improved COA algorithm, optimal intrinsic time-scale decomposition parameters based on time-varying filtering that match the input signal are obtained. By analyzing generalized refined composite multiscale sample entropy (GRCMSE), whether the mode component is dominated by the fault signal is determined. The signal is reconstructed and decomposed again. Finally, the mode component with the highest energy in the central frequency band is selected for envelope spectrum variation for fault diagnosis. Lastly, simulated and experimental signals were used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Tavis–Cummings Model with Moving Atoms
Authors: Abdel-Khalek Sayed , Berrada Kamal , Khalil Eied M. , Eleuch Hichem , Obada Abdel-Shafy F. , Reda Esraa
Published: April 2021

In this work, we examine a nonlinear version of the Tavis–Cummings model for two two-level atoms interacting with a single-mode field within a cavity in the context of power-law potentials. We consider the effect of the particle position that depends on the velocity and acceleration, and the coupling parameter is supposed to be time-dependent. We examine the effect of velocity and acceleration on the dynamical behavior of some quantumness measures, namely as von Neumann entropy, concurrence and Mandel parameter. We have found that the entanglement of subsystem states and the photon statistics are largely dependent on the choice of the qubit motion and power-law exponent. The obtained results present potential applications for quantum information and optics with optimal conditions.
Impacts of Mooring-Lines Hysteresis on Dynamic Response of Spar Floating Wind Turbine
Authors: Chen Weimin , Guo Shuangxi , Li Yilun , Shen Yijun
Published: April 2021

Floating wind turbines often experience larger-amplitude motions caused by wind and ocean wave loads, while mooring-lines, such as catenary and taut mooring-lines, make the structure configurations along with an analysis of the global response more complicated compared to a fixed support foundation. Moreover, the restoring performance of dynamic mooring-lines exhibits a significant hysteresis behavior, and this hysteresis behavior may have profound impacts on the structural response of floating wind turbines under environmental loads. In this study, using the coupled finite element method, a dynamic simulation model is developed to study the motion responses of a spar floating wind turbine under consideration of mooring-lines hysteresis. In order to consider large-amplitude motion and nonlinear behaviors of catenary mooring-lines, a FEM (finite element method) model is developed based on a combination of 3D nonlinear beam elements and the super-element approach, and the interaction between mooring-lines and seabed is also included. Using our FEM numerical simulations, firstly, the restoring performance of mooring-lines and its hysteresis behavior are studied. Then, the motion responses, e.g., the displacements of the spar float undergoing various wave loads, are examined. The numerical results show that: the restoring stiffness of mooring-lines exhibits significant hysteresis behavior, and the restoring force is directionally dependent. Due to the hysteresis of restoring performance, for a case of regular wave conditions, little change of the spar surge in a steady-state is seen; however, for a case of extreme wave loads, the motion response gets about 14.4% smaller, compared with the quasi-static cases.
Effects of Nutrient Content and Nitrogen to Phosphorous Ratio on the Growth, Nutrient Removal and Desalination Properties of the Green Alga Coelastrum morus on a Laboratory Scale
Authors: Figler Aida , Márton Kamilla , B-Béres Viktória , Bácsi István
Published: April 2021

In wastewater, nutrient concentrations and salinity vary substantially, however, the optimal N:P ratio for the treatment using microalgae is not well described. In this study, the effects of higher and lower nitrate and phosphate contents and N:P ratios on growth, nutrient removal ability and halotolerance of the common green alga Coelastrum morus were investigated in model solutions. The results suggest that high nitrate content (above 100 mg L−1) with a similarly high phosphate concentration (resulting low N:P ratio) is not favorable for growth. The studied isolate can be considered as a halotolerant species, showing remarkable growth up to 1000 mg L−1 NaCl and it seems that despite the negative effects on growth, higher nutrient content contributes to higher halotolerance. A significant amount of nitrate removal was observed in media with different nutrient contents and N:P ratios with different salt concentrations. High N:P ratios favor phosphate removal, which is more inhibited by increasing NaCl concentration than nitrate uptake. Overall, with a relatively higher nutrient content and a favorable (5 or higher) N:P ratio, a common green algal species such as C. morus could be a promising candidate next to species from the Chlorellaceae and Scenedesmaceae families.
100 kW Three-Phase Wireless Charger for EV: Experimental Validation Adopting Opposition Method
Authors: Colussi Jacopo , La Ganga Alessandro , Re Roberto , Guglielmi Paolo , Armando Eric
Published: April 2021

This paper presents the experimental validation, using the opposition method, of a high-power three-phase Wireless-Power-Transfer (WPT) system for automotive applications. The system under test consists of three coils with circular sector shape overlapped to minimize the mutual cross-coupling, a three-phase inverter at primary side and a three-phase rectifier at receiver side. In fact thanks to the delta configuration used to connect the coils of the electromagnetic structure, a three-phase Silicon Carbide (SiC) inverter is driving the transmitter side. The resonance tank capacitors are placed outside of the delta configuration reducing in this way their voltage sizing. This WPT system is used as a 100 kW–85 kHz ultrafast battery charger for light delivery vehicle directly supplied by the power grid of tramways. The adopted test-bench for the WPT charger consists of adding circulating boost converter to the system under test to perform the opposition method technique. The experimental results prove the effectiveness of the proposed structure together with the validation of fully exploited simulation analysis. This is demonstrated by transferring 100 kW with more than 94% DC-to-DC efficiency over 50 mm air gap in aligned conditions. Furthermore, testing of Zero-Current and Zero-Voltage commutations are performed to test the performance of SiC technology employed.
Aerodynamic and Structural Strategies for the Rotor Design of a Wind Turbine Scaled Model
Authors: Muggiasca Sara , Taruffi Federico , Fontanella Alessandro , Di Carlo Simone , Belloli Marco
Published: April 2021

Experimental tests performed in a wind tunnel or in a natural laboratory represent a fundamental research tool to develop floating wind technologies. In order to obtain reliable results, the wind turbine scale model rotor must be designed so to obtain a fluid-structure interaction comparable to the one experienced by a real machine. This implies an aerodynamic design of the 3D blade geometry but, also, a structural project to match the main aeroelastic issues. For natural laboratory models, due to not controlled test conditions, the wind turbine rotor model must be checked also for extreme winds. The present paper will focus on all the strategies adopted to scale a wind turbine blade presenting two studied cases: the first is a 1:75 scale model for wind tunnel applications and the second a 1:15 model for natural laboratory tests.