bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Treatment of Basal Cell Carcinoma with Electrochemotherapy: Insights from the InspECT Registry (2008–2019)
Authors: Bertino Giulia , Muir Tobian , Odili Joy , Groselj Ales , Marconato Roberto , Curatolo Pietro , Kis Erika , Lonkvist Camilla Kjaer , Clover James , Quaglino Pietro , Kunte Christian , Spina Romina , Seccia Veronica , de Terlizzi Francesca , Campana Luca Giovanni ,   the InspECT BCC Working Group
Published: July 2022

This prospective registry-based study aims to describe electrochemotherapy (ECT) modalities in basal cell carcinoma (BCC) patients and evaluate its efficacy, safety, and predictive factors. The International Network for Sharing Practices of Electrochemotherapy (InspECT) multicentre database was queried for BCC cases treated with bleomycin-ECT between 2008 and 2019 (n = 330 patients from seven countries, with 623 BCCs [median number: 1/patient; range: 1–7; size: 13 mm, range: 5–350; 85% were primary, and 80% located in the head and neck]). The procedure was carried out under local anaesthesia in 68% of cases, with the adjunct of mild sedation in the remaining 32%. Of 300 evaluable patients, 242 (81%) achieved a complete response (CR) after a single ECT course. Treatment naïvety (odds ratio [OR] 0.35, 95% confidence interval [C.I.] 0.19–0.67, p = 0.001) and coverage of deep tumour margin with electric pulses (O.R. 5.55, 95% C.I. 1.37–21.69, p = 0.016) predicted CR, whereas previous radiation was inversely correlated (O.R. 0.25, p = 0.0051). Toxicity included skin ulceration (overall, 16%; G3, 1%) and hyperpigmentation (overall, 8.1%; G3, 2.5%). At a 17-month follow-up, 28 (9.3%) patients experienced local recurrence/progression. Despite no convincing evidence that ECT confers improved outcomes compared with standard surgical excision, it can still be considered an opportunity to avoid major resection in patients unsuitable for more demanding treatment. Treatment naïvety and coverage of the deep margin predict tumour clearance and may inform current patient selection and management.
Identifying Breast Cancer Recurrence in Administrative Data: Algorithm Development and Validation
Authors: Holloway Claire M. B. , Shabestari Omid , Eberg Maria , Forster Katharina , Murray Paula , Green Bo , Esensoy Ali Vahit , Eisen Andrea , Sussman Jonathan
Published: July 2022

Breast cancer recurrence is an important outcome for patients and healthcare systems, but it is not routinely reported in cancer registries. We developed an algorithm to identify patients who experienced recurrence or a second case of primary breast cancer (combined as a “second breast cancer event”) using administrative data from the population of Ontario, Canada. A retrospective cohort study design was used including patients diagnosed with stage 0-III breast cancer in the Ontario Cancer Registry between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2012 and alive six months post-diagnosis. We applied the algorithm to healthcare utilization data from six months post-diagnosis until death or 31 December 2013, whichever came first. We validated the algorithm’s diagnostic accuracy against a manual patient record review (n = 2245 patients). The algorithm had a sensitivity of 85%, a specificity of 94%, a positive predictive value of 67%, a negative predictive value of 98%, an accuracy of 93%, a kappa value of 71%, and a prevalence-adjusted bias-adjusted kappa value of 85%. The second breast cancer event rate was 16.5% according to the algorithm and 13.0% according to manual review. Our algorithm’s performance was comparable to previously published algorithms and is sufficient for healthcare system monitoring. Administrative data from a population can, therefore, be interpreted using new methods to identify new outcome measures.
Altitudinal Patterns of Species Richness of Seed Plants in Qingling Mountains: A Test of Rapoport’s Rule
Authors: Li Qian , Li Ting , Yue Ming
Published: July 2022

Understanding patterns of species richness along an altitudinal gradient is one of the central focuses of ecological research and can offer us insights into the mechanisms of species diversity. However, few studies have focused on a large scale. Based on the distribution data of 3538 species collected from the local flora of the entire Qinling Mountains, the patterns of seed plant richness along the altitude were analyzed; three hypotheses proposed to explain the pattern were tested, and five methods verifying the applicability of Rapoport’s rule were examined. The results of the research were as follows: species richness of seed plants along an altitudinal gradient in the Qinling Mountains displayed a single peak, occurring at 1000–1500 m (R2 = 0.67, p < 0.001), and similar patterns were also observed at the genus and family level; The proportion and density of endemic species were increased monotonously with altitude; the altitudinal patterns of species richness in the Qinling Mountains were not fully explained by a single hypothesis such as species area relationship (SAR), mid-domain effect (MDE) and ecological metabolism theory (MTE), while the interpretation amount of SAR and MDE was 80.4%, indicating that area and mid-domain effect significantly affect the patterns of plant species richness in the Qinling Mountains; only the Pagel upper-bound method supported Rapoport’s rule. However, all species were grouped according to their altitude distribution; most of results of the species-by-species method, Rohde midpoint method, and Stevens method conformed to Rapoport’s rule. The test of Rapoport’s rule is obviously affected by the test method, so more advanced and universal methods are expected to be developed in future.
Islands as Time Capsules for Genetic Diversity Conservation: The Case of the Giglio Island Mouflon
Authors: Barbato Mario , Masseti Marco , Pirastru Monica , Columbano Nicolò , Scali Monica , Vignani Rita , Mereu Paolo
Published: July 2022

The use of multidisciplinary approaches of investigation including biological, biogeographical, historical, morphological, and genetic analysis, can be useful in identifying and preserving biodiversity. The present study focuses on the characterisation and conservation of a mouflon population (Ovis gmelini musimon) from the Mediterranean island of Giglio. Here we provide the first molecular data on the Giglio population and compare it with mouflons from Sardinia, Elba, and Corsica using both nuclear and mitochondrial markers. Our results suggest that the Giglio mouflon harbours genetic variability likely of Sardinian origin but not represented in the current Sardinian mouflon diversity. Although not presenting the typical characteristics of an invasive alien species, the Giglio mouflon is being subjected to eradication through culling or trapping and surgical sterilization. The molecular evidence we report highlights that such actions are causing the irremediable loss of ancestral genetic variants of the genus Ovis. Finally, we highlight how a multidisciplinary approach is necessary to aid the conservation and management of the anthropochorous populations of Mediterranean mammals.
Decreased Levels of SARS-CoV-2 Fusion-Inhibitory Antibodies in the Serum of Aged COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Malézieux-Picard Astrid , Abdul Fabien , Herrmann François R. , Caillon Aurélie , Ribaux Pascale , Cambet Yves , Yerly Sabine , Baggio Stéphanie , Vernaz Nathalie , Zekry Dina , Krause Karl-Heinz , Preynat-Seauve Olivier , Prendki Virginie
Published: July 2022

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was particularly devastating for elderly people, and the underlying mechanisms of the disease are still poorly understood. In this study, we investigated fusion inhibitory antibodies (fiAbs) in elderly and younger COVID-19 patients and analyzed predictive factors for their occurrence. Methods: Data and samples were collected in two cohorts of hospitalized patients. A fusion assay of SARS-CoV-2 spike-expressing cells with ACE2-expressing cells was used to quantify fiAbs in the serum of patients. Results: A total of 108 patients (52 elderly (mean age 85 ± 7 years); 56 young (mean age 52 ± 10 years)) were studied. The concentrations of fiAbs were lower in geriatric patients, as evidenced at high serum dilutions (1/512). The association between fiAbs and anti-Spike Ig levels was weak (correlation coefficient < 0.3), but statistically significant. Variables associated with fusion were the delay between the onset of symptoms and testing (HR = −2.69; p < 0.001), clinical frailty scale (HR = 4.71; p = 0.035), and WHO severity score (HR = −6.01, p = 0.048). Conclusions: Elderly patients had lower fiAbs levels after COVID-19 infection. The decreased fiAbs levels were associated with frailty.
Fast Functional Rehabilitation Protocol versus Plaster Cast Immobilization Protocol after Achilles Tendon Tenorrhaphy: Is It Different? Clinical, Ultrasonographic, and Elastographic Comparison
Authors: Mosconi Mario , Pasta Gianluigi , Annunziata Salvatore , Guerrieri Viviana , Ghiara Matteo , Perelli Simone , Torriani Camilla , Grassi Federico Alberto , Jannelli Eugenio
Published: July 2022

Background: the incidence of Achilles tendon (AT) rupture is rising; however, there is no clear consensus regarding the optimal treatment. The aim of this retrospective study was to compare instrumental and patient-reported outcome scores after fast functional rehabilitation (group A) versus plaster cast immobilization (group B) programs in patients who underwent AT tenorrhaphy. Methods: 33 patients, with similar clinical and demographic features, underwent open AT tenorrhaphy between January and July 2018. Of these, 15 patients were treated with fast functional rehabilitation program (group A), and 18 patients were treated with plaster cast immobilization protocol (group B). Sural triceps hypotrophy and functional scores (American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle–Hindfoot Score, and Achilles tendon Total Rupture Score (ATRS)) were recorded at a 12-month follow-up. Ultrasonography (US) and elastosonography (ES) were used to compare the characteristics of the tendons after surgery. Results: At 12 months, no significant differences in any of the patient-reported outcomes or the instrumental measurement tests were seen between the two groups. Conclusions: fast functional rehabilitation after AT surgical repair is safe, effective, and may be the first choice of treatment, especially in young, collaborative, and active patients.
Non-Malleable Code in the Split-State Model
Authors: Aggarwal Divesh , Ball Marshall , Obremski Maciej
Published: July 2022

Non-malleable codes are a natural relaxation of error correction and error detection codes applicable in scenarios where error-correction or error-detection is impossible. Over the last decade, non-malleable codes have been studied for a wide variety of tampering families. Among the most well studied of these is the split-state family of tampering channels, where the codeword is split into two or more parts and each part is tampered with independently. We survey various constructions and applications of non-malleable codes in the split-state model.
High Resolution Treatment Effects Estimation: Uncovering Effect Heterogeneities with the Modified Causal Forest
Authors: Bodory Hugo , Busshoff Hannah , Lechner Michael
Published: July 2022

There is great demand for inferring causal effect heterogeneity and for open-source statistical software, which is readily available for practitioners. The mcf package is an open-source Python package that implements Modified Causal Forest (mcf), a causal machine learner. We replicate three well-known studies in the fields of epidemiology, medicine, and labor economics to demonstrate that our mcf package produces aggregate treatment effects, which align with previous results, and in addition, provides novel insights on causal effect heterogeneity. For all resolutions of treatment effects estimation, which can be identified, the mcf package provides inference. We conclude that the mcf constitutes a practical and extensive tool for a modern causal heterogeneous effects analysis.
Evaluating a Dental Public-Health Game across Two Learning Contexts
Authors: Sipiyaruk Kawin , Hatzipanagos Stylianos , Vichayanrat Tippanart , Reynolds Patricia A. , Gallagher Jennifer E.
Published: July 2022

Serious games have been shown to be effective learning tools in various disciplines, including dental education. Serious-game learning environments allow learners to improve knowledge and skills. GRAPHIC (Games Research Applied to Public Health with Innovative Collaboration), a serious game for dental public health, was designed to simulate a town, enabling students to apply theoretical knowledge to a specific population by selecting health promotion initiatives to improve the oral health of the town population. This study employed a literature-based evaluation framework and a sequential explanatory mixed-methods research design to evaluate the use of GRAPHIC among final-year dental undergraduates across two learning contexts: King’s College London in the United Kingdom and Mahidol University in Thailand. Two hundred and sixty-one students completed all designated tasks, and twelve participated in semi-structured interviews. The findings demonstrated knowledge improvement after game completion based on pre- and post-knowledge assessments, and the students’ perceptions of the game as an interactive and motivational learning experience. The evaluation identified five serious-game dimensions and clear alignment between these dimensions, demonstrating the impact of serious games in dental public health and, more widely, in healthcare education.
Tunnel Spin-Polarization of Ferromagnetic Metals and Ferrimagnetic Oxides and Its Effect on Tunnel Magnetoresistance
Authors: Suchaneck Gunnar
Published: July 2022

This work presents an examination and unification of fragmented data on spin polarization in half-metallic, ferrimagnetic oxides. It also includes well understood ferromagnetic metals for comparison. The temperature and disorder dependencies of the spin polarization are evaluated. Both the temperature dependence of the tunnel magnetoresistance and, for the very first time, its temperature coefficient are calculated based on the simplified Julliére model. The tunnel magnetoresistance in the magnetic tunnel junctions deteriorates due to the temperature dependence of the spin polarization the lower the Curie temperature is. As a result, magnetic tunnel junctions—consisting of ferromagnetic oxides with a Curie temperature not far above room temperature—are not promising for room temperature applications. Additionally, ferrimagnetic oxides possessing a Curie temperature below 650 K are not suitable for room temperature applications because of an unacceptable temperature coefficient exceeding −2%.
A Hybrid ARIMA-GABP Model for Predicting Sea Surface Temperature
Authors: Chen Xiangyi , Li Qinrou , Zeng Xianghai , Zhang Chuyi , Xu Guangjun , Wang Guancheng
Published: July 2022

Sea surface temperature (SST) is one of the most important parameters in air–sea interaction, and its accurate prediction is of great significance in the study of global climate change. However, SST is affected by heat flux, ocean dynamic processes, cloud coverage, and other factors, which means it contains linear and nonlinear components. Existing prediction models, especially single prediction models, cannot effectively handle these linear and nonlinear components in the meantime, degrading their accuracy concerning the prediction of SST. To remedy this weakness, this paper proposes a novel prediction model by the Lagrange multiplier method to combine the auto-regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model and the back propagation (BP) neural network model, where these two models have superior prediction performance for linear and nonlinear components, respectively. Moreover, the genetic algorithm is exploited to construct the genetic algorithm BP (GABP) neural network to further improve the performance of the proposed model. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed model, experiments predicting the SST based on historic time-series data are performed. The experiment results indicate that the mean absolute error (MAE) of the ARIMA-GABP model is only 0.3033 °C and the root mean square error (RMSE) is 0.3970 °C, which is better than the ARIMA model, BP neural network model, long short-term memory (LSTM) model, GABP neural network model, and ensemble empirical model decomposition BP model among various datasets. Therefore, the proposed model has superior and robust performance concerning predicting SST.
Recognition of Emotion with Intensity from Speech Signal Using 3D Transformed Feature and Deep Learning
Authors: Islam Md. Riadul , Akhand M. A. H. , Kamal Md Abdus Samad , Yamada Kou
Published: July 2022

Speech Emotion Recognition (SER), the extraction of emotional features with the appropriate classification from speech signals, has recently received attention for its emerging social applications. Emotional intensity (e.g., Normal, Strong) for a particular emotional expression (e.g., Sad, Angry) has a crucial influence on social activities. A person with intense sadness or anger may fall into severe disruptive action, eventually triggering a suicidal or devastating act. However, existing Deep Learning (DL)-based SER models only consider the categorization of emotion, ignoring the respective emotional intensity, despite its utmost importance. In this study, a novel scheme for Recognition of Emotion with Intensity from Speech (REIS) is developed using the DL model by integrating three speech signal transformation methods, namely Mel-frequency Cepstral Coefficient (MFCC), Short-time Fourier Transform (STFT), and Chroma STFT. The integrated 3D form of transformed features from three individual methods is fed into the DL model. Moreover, under the proposed REIS, both the single and cascaded frameworks with DL models are investigated. A DL model consists of a 3D Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), Time Distribution Flatten (TDF) layer, and Bidirectional Long Short-term Memory (Bi-LSTM) network. The 3D CNN block extracts convolved features from 3D transformed speech features. The convolved features were flattened through the TDF layer and fed into Bi-LSTM to classify emotion with intensity in a single DL framework. The 3D transformed feature is first classified into emotion categories in the cascaded DL framework using a DL model. Then, using a different DL model, the intensity level of the identified categories is determined. The proposed REIS has been evaluated on the Ryerson Audio-Visual Database of Emotional Speech and Song (RAVDESS) benchmark dataset, and the cascaded DL framework is found to be better than the single DL framework. The proposed REIS method has shown remarkable recognition accuracy, outperforming related existing methods.
TMCS-ENN: A Temporal Feature-Correlation Cuckoo Search-Elman Neural Network for Sugar Raw Materials Demands Prediction
Authors: Cui Haibo , Zhou Yuqi , Liu Weiming , Li Yangying , Chen Zhijun , He Du
Published: July 2022

The prediction of the demand for raw materials is of vital importance to modern industries. Most studies are based on traditional regression, linear programming, and other methods. Previous studies have often overlooked the characteristics of the sugar raw materials business and the influence of time factors on raw material demand, resulting in limited prediction accuracy. How to accurately predict the demand for sugar raw materials is one of the key issues for intelligent management. In view of the above problems, combined with the characteristics of the supply and demand cycle of sugar raw materials, this paper aims to predict the demand for raw materials based on their supply and demand in a real sugar company by optimizing the Elman neural network through the modified cuckoo search (MCS) algorithm with temporal features. This study proposes a temporal feature-correlation cuckoo search–Elman neural network (TMCS-ENN) for predicting the demand for sugar raw materials. The experimental results show that the accuracy of the TMCS-ENN model reaches 93.89%, a better performance than that achieved by existing models. Therefore, the study model effectively improves the accuracy of the demand forecast of sugar raw materials for companies. This output will be helpful for improving the production efficiency and automation level, as well as reducing costs.
Investigation of a Dual-Layer Metasurface-Inspired Fractal Antenna with Dual-Polarized/-Modes for 4G/5G Applications
Authors: Mohanty Asutosh , Behera Bikash Ranjan , Esselle Karu P. , Alsharif Mohammed H. , Jahid Abu , Mohsan Syed Agha Hassnain
Published: July 2022

In this research article, a dual-polarized compact bow-tie-shaped irregular fractal antenna with a dual metasurface (DMS) for directional radiation applications is designed using a dual-mode simple feeding mechanism. A short-circuited strip linked between the impedance transformation feed and the radiating patch activates the induced coupling modes, which are capacitive (C-mode) and inductive (L-mode), respectively. The C-mode antenna operates at 2.39–2.53 GHz, whereas the L-mode antenna operates at 2.88–4.49 GHz. It comprises a DMS positioned at 0.22λ∘ from the antenna with 0.016λ∘ separation and a 4 × 4 array of checkerboard type hole-injected tiny unit cells on each metasurface. A rectangular cavity-backed slot was employed as the ground plane to emulsify the reflected energy waves from the DMS, in order to start the coupling process with the boresight radiation, resulting in high gain and suppressed backward radiations. The gain in C-mode was 6.74 dBi, and the gain in L-mode was 7.7 dBi. For validation, a miniaturized metasurface antenna with the overall size of 0.32λ∘ × 0.32λ∘ × 0.22λ∘ (where λ∘ is the free-space wavelength at 2.45 GHz) was fabricated and measured. The measured outcomes highlight its potential for 4G/5G wireless applications.
Performance Improvement of Image-Reconstruction-Based Defense against Adversarial Attack
Authors: Lee Jungeun , Yang Hoeseok
Published: July 2022

Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) used for image classification are vulnerable to adversarial examples, which are images that are intentionally generated to predict an incorrect output for a deep learning model. Various defense methods have been proposed to defend against such adversarial attacks, among which, image-reconstruction-based defense methods, such as DIPDefend, are known to be effective in getting rid of the adversarial perturbations injected in the image. However, this image-reconstruction-based defense approach suffers from a long execution time due to its iterative and time-consuming image reconstruction. The trade-off between the execution time and the robustness/accuracy of the defense method should be carefully explored, which is the main focus of this paper. In this work, we aim to improve the execution time of the existing state-of-the-art image-reconstruction-based defense method, DIPDefend, against the Fast Gradient Sign Method (FGSM). In doing so, we propose to take the input-specific properties into consideration when deciding the stopping point of the image reconstruction of DIPDefend. For that, we first applied a low-pass filter to the input image with various kernel sizes to make a prediction of the true label. Then, based on that, the parameters of the image reconstruction procedure were adaptively chosen. Experiments with 500 randomly chosen ImageNet validation set images show that we can obtain an approximately 40% improvement in execution time while keeping the accuracy drop as small as 0.4–3.9%.
Rural Specificity as a Factor Influencing Energy Poverty in European Union Countries
Authors: Cyrek Magdalena , Cyrek Piotr
Published: July 2022

This study focuses on the empirical verification of the influence of rural specificity on energy poverty across European Union countries, in the period 2010–2020. The research aimed at specifying the role of the agricultural character of a country, as well as economic disparities between rural and urban areas, in inducing problems of energy affordability. Based on the literature consensus about the most important determinants of energy poverty, namely income, energy prices, energy productivity, quality of dwellings, and climate conditions, a standard model was constructed concerning the role of the rural character of an economy, with its traditional features such as agricultural employment, and indices of rural–urban divide, in terms of median income and material poverty. Models for panel data with fixed effects were estimated. The results indicate agricultural employment as a factor increasing the subjective energy poverty of households. However, the scale of rural settlement cannot be specified as a factor determining energy poverty, neither concerning energy consumption nor self-reported difficulties. This suggests that only the traditional agricultural character of rural areas negatively influences energy poverty. The processes of gentrification of rural areas observable in many EU countries changes the typical pattern of the identification of villagers with the most excluded group.
Supporting Multi-Attribute, Non-Compensating Selection of the Right Heat Pump Device for a Residential Building, Considering the Limited Availability of the Necessary Resources
Authors: Ginda Grzegorz , Iwaszczuk Natalia , Dudek Marek
Published: July 2022

Reliable and comprehensive choice of a suitable domestic heat pump for a common dwelling house is discussed in the paper. The application of common and freely available market information about possible heat pump options is considered in this regard. The intangibility, imperfect nature, and overload of available information, as well as a common issue amongst interested homeowners—scarce critical resource availability, e.g., financial means—are also dealt with. A specific, universal multistage decision support procedure is proposed in the paper to help a houseowner to make an informed heat pump choice. At first, a concept of a pairwise comparison and a notion of dominance under imperfect information are utilized to build a kind of option hierarchy. A particular heat pump device is then recommended by means of exploring consecutive option hierarchy levels and an actual houseowner’s critical resource capacity in a non-commensurable manner. It seems that this joint application of common imperfect information about available options and critical resource availability, as well as the ideas of option dominance and non-commensurability, make the approach an interesting way for a casual homeowner to make an informed heat pump device choice. A sample analysis is also applied to show the merits and the usefulness of the approach in the paper.
The Role of Design Management in Creation of Sustainable Business Models
Authors: Klein Monika , Spychalska-Wojtkiewicz Monika
Published: July 2022

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) implementation represents an important contribution to circular economy (CE). In recent months, these goals have been modified given the significant changes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Research shows increasing interests in revealing the efficiency of design in order to pursue new business models as sources of innovation that can contribute to SDGs. Nevertheless, the realization of SDGs is not easy on the level of enterprises and regions. Here, our research goal was to describe the role of design in business model re-design for SDGs implementation. It was presumed that during the pandemic, entrepreneurs significantly modified business models, emphasizing aspects of sustainable development. In order to verify this assumption, desk research was combined with qualitative research. Data were gathered from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and experts. The research raises the point of the underestimated role of design as a determinant of new business models composition connected with the SDGs. As a result, it was found that once applied, design becomes an important tool for sustainable innovation and enable strategic change in companies. Design supports SMEs in business models’ transition towards sustainable, circular performance. In conclusion, it was found that while adjusting business models in a pandemic, entrepreneurs paid more attention to issues related to SDGs.
Hydrogen Production and Storage: Analysing Integration of Photoelectrolysis, Electron Harvesting Lignocellulose, and Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide-Fixing Biosynthesis
Authors: Sadhukhan Jhuma , Pollet Bruno , Seaman Miles
Published: July 2022

Green hydrogen from photocatalytic water-splitting and photocatalytic lignocellulosic reforming is a significant proposition for renewable energy storage in global net-zero policies and strategies. Although photocatalytic water-splitting and photocatalytic lignocellulosic reforming have been investigated, their integration is novel. Furthermore, biosynthesis can store the evolved hydrogen and fix the atmospheric carbon dioxide in a biocathode chamber. The biocathode chamber is coupled to the combined photocatalytic water-splitting and lignocellulose oxidation in an anode chamber. This integrated system of anode and biocathode mimics a (bio)electrosynthesis system. A visible solar radiation-driven novel hybrid system comprising photocatalytic water-splitting, lignocellulose oxidation, and atmospheric CO2 fixation is, thus, investigated. It must be noted that there is no technology for reducing atmospheric CO2 concentration. Thus, our novel intensified technology enables renewable and sustainable hydrogen economy and direct CO2 capture from air to confront climate change impact. The photocatalytic anode considered is CdS nanocomposites that give a low absorption onset (200 nm), high absorbance range (200–800 nm), and narrow bandgap (1.58–2.4 V). The biocathode considered is Ralstonia eutropha H16 interfaced with photocatalytic lignocellulosic oxidation and a water-splitting anode. The biocathode undergoes autotrophic metabolism fixing atmospheric CO2 and hydrogen to poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) biosynthesis. As the hydrogen evolved can be readily stored, the electron–hole pair can be separated, increasing the hydrogen evolution efficiency. Although there are many experimental studies, this study for the first time sets the maximum theoretical efficiency target from mechanistic deductions of practical insights. Compared to physical/physicochemical absorption with solvent recovery to capture CO2, the photosynthetic CO2 capture efficiency is 51%. The maximum solar-to-hydrogen generation efficiency is 33%. Lignocelluloses participate in hydrogen evolution by (1–4)-glycosidic bond decomposition, releasing accessible sugar monomers or monosaccharides forming a Cd–O–R bond with the CdS/CdOx nanocomposite surface used as a photocatalyst/semiconductor, leading to CO32− in oxidised carboxylic acid products. Lignocellulose dosing as an oxidising agent can increase the extent of water-splitting. The mechanistic analyses affirm the criticality of lignocellulose oxidation in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. The critical conditions for success are increasing the alcohol neutralising agent’s strength, increasing the selective (ligno)cellulose dosing, broadening the hybrid nanostructure of the photocatalyst/semiconductor, enhancing the visible-light range absorbance, and increasing the solar energy utilisation efficiency.
Bioplastic as a Substitute for Plastic in Construction Industry
Authors: Oberti Ilaria , Paciello Alessia
Published: July 2022

Bioplastics have proven to be a viable substitute for plastics in some sectors, although their use in construction is still limited. The construction sector currently uses 23% of the world’s plastic production, both for the materials themselves and for their packaging and protection. A considerable part is not recycled and is dispersed into the environment or ends up in landfills. In response to the environmental problems caused by oil-based plastic pollution, the development of biocomposite materials such as bioplastics represents a paradigm shift. This entry aims to explain what bioplastics are, providing a classification and the description of the different properties and applications. It also lays out the most interesting uses of these materials in the construction field.
The Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator Contributes to cAMP-Induced Steroidogenesis in MA-10 Leydig Cells
Authors: Demmouche Zoheir B. , Tremblay Jacques J.
Published: July 2022

Leydig cells produce androgens which are essential for male sex differentiation and reproductive functions. Steroidogenesis, as well as expression of several genes in Leydig cells, are stimulated by LH/cAMP and repressed by AMP/AMPK. One of those genes is Plau, which codes for the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), a secreted serine protease. The role of uPA and the regulation of Plau expression in Leydig cells remain unknown. Using siRNA-mediated knockdown, uPA was required for maximal cAMP-induced STAR and steroid hormone production in MA-10 Leydig cells. Analysis of Plau mRNA levels and promoter activity revealed that its expression is strongly induced by cAMP; this induction is blunted by AMPK. The cAMP-responsive region was located, in part, in the proximal Plau promoter that contains a species-conserved GC box at −56 bp. The transcription factor Krüppel-like factor 6 (KLF6) activated the Plau promoter. Mutation of the GC box at −56 bp abolished KLF6-mediated activation and significantly reduced cAMP-induced Plau promoter activity. These data define a role for uPA in Leydig cell steroidogenesis and provide insights into the regulation of Plau gene expression in these cells.
Fruit Microbial Communities of the Bisucciu Sardinian Apricot Cultivar (Prunus armeniaca L.) as a Reservoir of New Brewing Starter Strains
Authors: Fancello Francesco , Bianco Angela , Niccolai Marta , Zara Giacomo , Coronas Roberta , Serra Elisa , D’Hallewin Guy , Valentoni Antonio , Santoru Antonio , Pretti Luca , Budroni Marilena
Published: August 2022

Local fruit cultivars may improve the originality of specialty beers both directly, by conferring peculiar tastes and flavors, and indirectly, as a reservoir of new starter strains. Accordingly, the fungal and bacterial communities of Bisucciu fruit, a Sardinian apricot cultivar used to produce a local fruit beer, were here investigated by culture-dependent methods. From the 16S rDNA and ITS sequence analyses of 68 epiphytic isolates, 5 bacterial species and 19 fungal species were identified. Aureobasidium pullulans and Rhodotorula glutinis were the dominant fungal species, while Enterococcus mundtii (Firmicutes) and Frigoribacterium faeni (Actinobacteria) were the most represented species among bacterial isolates. Enrichment cultures of fresh apricot puree, followed by fermentation trials in beer wort and beer wort added with apricot puree, allowed the selection of four isolates of Pichia kudriavzevii, Hanseniaspora uvarum, H. pseudoguilliermondii, and H. clermontiae able to dominate over the Bisucciu native microbiota and to produce from 0.57% to 0.74% (vol/vol) of ethanol. HS-SPME-GC/MS analysis highlighted a significant increase in the ester and alcohol fractions as well as a reduction in terpenes after fermentation with the selected yeasts. Results obtained suggest that the yeast isolates may contribute to the definition of the taste and flavor of beers when used in mixed fermentations with Saccharomyces.
Stability Analysis of Concrete Block Anchor on Steep-Slope Floating Breakwater
Authors: Sujantoko  , Armono Haryo Dwito , Djatmiko Eko Budi , Putra Risandi Dwirama
Published: August 2022

The floating breakwater is a protective structure that can absorb waves and can be used effectively in coastal areas with moderate wave environmental conditions. The stability of the floating breakwater is affected by the tension of the mooring line and the weight of the anchor. This research was conducted experimentally with a model scale of 1:10 on a floating breakwater with mooring systems and concrete anchor blocks with three types of configurations. The experiment was carried out on irregular waves with the following variations: wave height and period, mooring angle, structure width, and anchor weight. The results of this study indicate that at a wave steepness of 0.02–0.025 floating breakwater, which is installed with a mooring angle of 45 deg, configuration 3 has the largest stability parameter among other configurations. However, if the structure is installed at a mooring angle of 90 deg and cross, configurations 2 and 3 have almost the same stability. The test results also show that the relative width will affect the stability parameters. Configuration 3 (B = 30 cm) has the largest stability-parameter value among other configurations (B = 10 cm and 20 cm).
Factors Affecting Food Consumers’ Behavior during COVID-19 in Romania
Authors: Muresan Iulia C. , Harun Rezhen , Brata Anca Monica , Brata Vlad Dumitru , Chiciudean Daniel I. , Tirpe Olivia Paula , Porutiu Andra , Dumitras Diana E.
Published: August 2022

Crisis periods such as the COVID-19 pandemic may reshape consumers’ behavior and challenge all food chain actors on how to assure and better respond to consumers’ needs and wants. This study aimed to reveal the main concerns of consumers related to food consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify factors that may influence their behavior. An online survey was performed among 859 Romanian consumers. The Principal Component Analysis revealed five factors: ecofriendly, socio-economic aspects, food waste, plant-based food, and easily accessible food, which affected consumers’ food behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was noticed that females tended to be more preoccupied with the socio-economic aspects and food waste components, compared to males. At the same time, older people were more concerned about the ecofriendly, socio-economic aspects and health concerns, compared with the younger group, the differences being statistically significant. These insights provide information on crucial aspects that shape consumers’ behavior during crisis periods.
Identification of Heat-Tolerant Genes in Non-Reference Sequences in Rice by Integrating Pan-Genome, Transcriptomics, and QTLs
Authors: Woldegiorgis Samuel Tareke , Wu Ti , Gao Linghui , Huang Yunxia , Zheng Yingjie , Qiu Fuxiang , Xu Shichang , Tao Huan , Harrison Andrew , Liu Wei , He Huaqin
Published: July 2022

The availability of large-scale genomic data resources makes it very convenient to mine and analyze genes that are related to important agricultural traits in rice. Pan-genomes have been constructed to provide insight into the genome diversity and functionality of different plants, which can be used in genome-assisted crop improvement. Thus, a pan-genome comprising all genetic elements is crucial for comprehensive variation study among the heat-resistant and -susceptible rice varieties. In this study, a rice pan-genome was firstly constructed by using 45 heat-tolerant and 15 heat-sensitive rice varieties. A total of 38,998 pan-genome genes were identified, including 37,859 genes in the reference and 1141 in the non-reference contigs. Genomic variation analysis demonstrated that a total of 76,435 SNPs were detected and identified as the heat-tolerance-related SNPs, which were specifically present in the highly heat-resistant rice cultivars and located in the genic regions or within 2 kbp upstream and downstream of the genes. Meanwhile, 3214 upregulated and 2212 downregulated genes with heat stress tolerance-related SNPs were detected in one or multiple RNA-seq datasets of rice under heat stress, among which 24 were located in the non-reference contigs of the rice pan-genome. We then mapped the DEGs with heat stress tolerance-related SNPs to the heat stress-resistant QTL regions. A total of 1677 DEGs, including 990 upregulated and 687 downregulated genes, were mapped to the 46 heat stress-resistant QTL regions, in which 2 upregulated genes with heat stress tolerance-related SNPs were identified in the non-reference sequences. This pan-genome resource is an important step towards the effective and efficient genetic improvement of heat stress resistance in rice to help meet the rapidly growing needs for improved rice productivity under different environmental stresses. These findings provide further insight into the functional validation of a number of non-reference genes and, especially, the two genes identified in the heat stress-resistant QTLs in rice.
Satisfaction and Quality of Life of Healthy and Unilateral Diseased BRCA1/2 Pathogenic Variant Carriers after Risk-Reducing Mastectomy and Reconstruction Using the BREAST-Q Questionnaire
Authors: Herold Natalie , Hellmich Martin , Lichtenheldt Frank , Ataseven Beyhan , Hillebrand Vanessa , Wappenschmidt Barbara , Schmutzler Rita Katharina , Rhiem Kerstin
Published: July 2022

Risk-reducing mastectomy (RRM) is the most efficient form of breast cancer (BC) risk reduction in BRCA1/2 pathogenic variant (pV) carriers. However, this intervention in physical integrity is associated with significant morbidity. We assessed long-term perception of satisfaction and health-related quality of life (QoL) after bilateral RRM and reconstruction using the validated BREAST-Q. We searched the prospective database of the Center for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Cologne for previvors and survivors who underwent bilateral RRM from 1994 to 2015 and evaluated the results of their BREAST-Q scores. The study enrolled 43 previvors and 90 survivors after a mean follow-up of 46.3 ± 45.3 months after RRM. Satisfaction and QoL were independent of the technique of RRM or type of reconstruction but depended on the time of RRM. Compared to survivors, previvors had significantly higher mean satisfaction scores in their psychosocial, sexual, and physical well-being (chest) in both modules. Among previvors and survivors, higher psychological well-being correlated with a higher satisfaction with information and higher satisfaction with outcome. As psychological well-being correlated with satisfaction with information and outcome, we developed decision aids to improve shared decision making and long-term satisfaction with the decision and the postoperative outcome.
Physicochemical, Nutritional Properties and Metabolomics Analysis Fat Deposition Mechanism of Chahua Chicken No. 2 and Yao Chicken
Authors: Liu Yong , Liang Shuangmin , Wang Kun , Zi Xiannian , Zhang Ru , Wang Guangzheng , Kang Jiajia , Li Zijian , Dou Tengfei , Ge Changrong
Published: July 2022

Poultry is an important dietary source of animal protein, accounting for approximately 30% of global meat consumption. Because of its low price, low fat and cholesterol content, and no religious restrictions, chicken is considered a widely available healthy meat. Chahua chicken No. 2 is a synthetic breed of Chahua chicken derived from five generations of specialized strain breeding. In this study, Chahua chicken No. 2 (CH) and Yao chicken (Y) were used as the research objects to compare the differences in physicochemical and nutritional indicators of meat quality between the two chicken breeds, and metabolomics was used to analyze the differences in metabolites and lipid metabolism pathways and to explore the expression of genes involved in adipogenesis. The physical index and nutritional value of CH are better than that of Y, and the chemical index of Y is better than that of CH. However, the chemical index results of CH are also within the normal theoretical value range. Comprehensive comparison shows that the meat quality of CH is relatively good. Metabolomics analysis showed that CH and Y had 85 different metabolites, and the differential metabolites were mainly classified into eight categories. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed 13 different metabolic pathways. The screened PPARG, FABP3, ACSL5, FASN, UCP3 and SC5D were negatively correlated with muscle fat deposition, while PPARα, ACACA and ACOX1 were positively correlated with muscle fat deposition. The meat quality of CH was better than Y. The metabolites and metabolic pathways obtained by metabonomics analysis mainly involved the metabolism of amino acids and fatty acids, which were consistent with the differences in meat quality between the two breeds and the contents of precursors affecting flavor. The screened genes were associated with fatty deposition in poultry.
Vadose Zone Transport of Tritium and Nitrate under Ponded Water Conditions
Authors: Stauffer Philip H. , Newman Brent D. , Birdsell Kay H. , Gard Marvin O. , Heikoop Jeffrey M. , Kluk Emily C. , Miller Terry A.
Published: July 2022

Vadose zone transport of tritium and nitrate can be important considerations at radioactive waste sites, landfills, or areas with industrial impacts. These contaminants are of particular concern because they typically have a relatively higher mobility in the subsurface compared to other compounds. Here, we describe a semiarid site with tritium and nitrate contamination involving a manmade ponded water source above a thick unsaturated zone at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, USA. This study demonstrates the value of vadose zone flow and transport modeling for the development of field investigation plans (i.e., identifying optimal borehole locations and depths for contaminant characterization), and how a combination of modeling with isotope and geochemical measurements can provide insight into how tritium and nitrate transport in the vadose zone in semiarid environments. Modeling results suggest that at this location, tritium transport is well predicted by classical multiphase theory. Our work expands the demonstrated usefulness of a standard tritium conceptual model to sites with ponded surface conditions and agrees with previous results where a standard model was able to explain the evolution of a tritium plume at an arid waste disposal site. In addition, depth-based analyses of δ18O and δ2H of pore waters helped confirm the extent of pond infiltration into the vadose zone, and the δ15N of nitrate showed that the contaminant release history of the site was different than originally assumed.
How Income Inequality and Race Concentrate Depression in Low-Income Women in the US; 2005–2016
Authors: Zare Hossein , Fugal Adriele , Azadi Mojgan , Gaskin Darrell J.
Published: August 2022

Aim: To estimate the association between income and depressive symptoms in adult women, ages 20 years and older. Methods: Data for this study came from the 2005–2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We measured the presence of depressive symptoms by using a 9-item PHQ (Public Health Questionnaire, PHQ-9) and the Poverty to Income Ratio (PIR) as a proxy for income. We employed Negative Binomial Regression (NBRG) and logistic regression models in a sample of 11,420 women. We adjusted models by age, racial/ethnic groups, marital status, education, health insurance, comorbidity, and utilization of mental health professionals. We calculated the Gini Coefficient (GC) as a measure of income inequality, using PIR. Results: Between 2005 and 2016, 20.1% of low-PIR women suffered from depression (PHQ ≥10) compared with 12.0% of women in medium-PIR and 5.0% in high-PIR. The highest probabilities of being depressed were in Black Non-Hispanics (BNH) and Hispanics (12.0%), and then in White NH (WNH; 9.1%). The results of NBRG have shown that women in medium-PIR (0.90 [CI: 0.84–0.97]) and high-PIR 0.76 (CI: 0.70–0.82) had a lower incidence-rate ratio than women in low-PIR. The logistic regression results showed that income is protective in High-PIR groups (OR = 0.56, CI [0.43–0.73]). Conclusion: Policies to treat depression should prioritize the needs of low-income women of all racial groups and women.