bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differences in the Tumor Microenvironment of EBV-Associated Gastric Cancers Revealed Using Single-Cell Transcriptome Analysis
Authors: Salnikov Mikhail Y. , Fonseca Gregory J. , Mymryk Joe S.
Published: June 2023

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is a gamma-herpesvirus associated with nearly 10% of gastric cancers (GCs). These EBV-associated GCs (EBVaGCs) are molecularly, histopathologically, and clinically distinct from EBV-negative GCs (EBVnGCs). While viral genes in EBVaGCs contribute to the carcinogenesis process, viral proteins also represent foreign antigens that could trigger enhanced immune responses compared to EBVnGCs. Despite prior investigations of the EBVaGC tumor microenvironment (TME), the cellular composition has not been thoroughly explored. In this study, cellular subpopulations overrepresented in EBVaGCs were identified and molecularly characterized. Genes consistently expressed across both bulk tumor and single-cell RNA sequencing data were highlighted, with the expression across the identified cellular subpopulations analyzed. As expected, based on existing histopathological analysis, EBVaGC is characterized by abundant lymphocytic infiltration of the stroma. Our molecular analysis identified three unique immune cell subpopulations in EBVaGC: T and B cells expressing high levels of proliferation markers and B cells expressing T cell features. The proliferating T cell cluster also expressed markers of follicular T helper cells. Overall, EBVaGC also exhibited unique features indicative of a higher inflammatory response. These substantial differences within the TME suggest that further detailed exploration of the cellular composition of EBVaGCs is needed, which may identify cellular subpopulations and phenotypes associated with patient outcomes.
Durability of Slippery Liquid-Infused Surfaces: Challenges and Advances
Authors: Tripathi Divyansh , Ray Prauteeto , Singh Ajay Vikram , Kishore Vimal , Singh Swarn Lata
Published: June 2023

Slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) have emerged as a unique approach to creating surfaces that can resist fouling when placed in contact with aqueous media, organic fluids, or biological organisms. These surfaces are composed of essentially two components: a liquid lubricant that is locked within the protrusions of a textured solid due to capillarity. Drops, immiscible to the lubricant, exhibit high mobility and very-low-contact-angle hysteresis when placed on such surfaces. Moreover, these surfaces are shown to resist adhesion to a wide range of fluids, can withstand high pressure, and are able to self-clean. Due to these remarkable properties, SLIPS are considered a promising candidate for applications such as designing anti-fouling and anti-corrosion surfaces, drag reduction, and fluid manipulation. These collective properties, however, are only available as long as the lubricant remains infused within the surface protrusions. A number of mechanisms can drive the depletion of the lubricant from the interior of the texture, leading to the loss of functionality of SLIPS. Lubricant depletion is one challenge that is hindering the real-world application of these surfaces. This review mainly focuses on the studies conducted in the context of enhancing the lubricant retention abilities of SLIPS. In addition, a concise introduction of wetting transitions on structured as well as liquid-infused surfaces is given. We also discuss, briefly, the mechanisms that are responsible for lubricant depletion.
Heterogeneous Fenton-like Catalyzation of Nanoscale Schwertmannite for Sulfamethoxazole Degradation
Authors: Meng Xiaoqing , Wang Lin , Yang Ying , Song Yuqi , Yuan Cansheng
Published: June 2023

Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) contamination in large quantities of wastewater can cause potential environmental problems. Due to difficulty in degrading SMX by natural processes, it is necessary to develop a novel technology to solve this problem. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have been identified as methods with a high potential to treat recalcitrant organic pollutants. The nanoscale schwertmannite (nano-SWT) was prepared with an indoor-temperature synthesis method facilitated by polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). In this study, we performed a reaction of the nano-SWT materials with Fenton-like catalysts for SMX degradation in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) media. The findings showed that the nano-SWT prepared by addition of 0.1 g·L−1 PVP (nano-SWT-n, n = 0.1) could degrade 92.5% of the SMX within 90 min at indoor temperature, which was due to the nano-SWT providing abundant reaction sites at the solid/solution interfaces. Additionally, SMX could be highly mineralized with 75% TOC removal and H2O2 was efficiently utilized during the nano-SWT/H2O2 process. In addition, after six cycles of Fenton-like degradation, the nano-SWT remained stable and reusable as a Fenton-like catalyst for SMX degradation. The nano-SWT performed well as a catalyst for SMX degradation. Additionally, this work provides a feasible environmental purification approach for the efficient degradation of SMX through the use of nanoscale schwertmannite as a catalyst in heterogeneous Fenton-like systems.
Extractive Metallurgy and Chemistry
Authors: Zinoveev Dmitry , Grudinsky Pavel , Dyubanov Valery
Published: June 2023

In recent years, the proper management and recycling of metallurgical waste have become increasingly important due to their significant environmental impact and the potential for the recovery of valuable metals in order to save natural resources [...]
Can Molecular Biomarkers Help Reduce the Overtreatment of DCIS?
Authors: Hahn Ezra , Rodin Danielle , Sutradhar Rinku , Nofech-Mozes Sharon , Trebinjac Sabina , Paszat Lawrence Frank , Rakovitch Eileen
Published: June 2023

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), especially in the era of mammographic screening, is a commonly diagnosed breast tumor. Despite the low breast cancer mortality risk, management with breast conserving surgery (BCS) and radiotherapy (RT) is the prevailing treatment approach in order to reduce the risk of local recurrence (LR), including invasive LR, which carries a subsequent risk of breast cancer mortality. However, reliable and accurate individual risk prediction remains elusive and RT continues to be standardly recommended for most women with DCIS. Three molecular biomarkers have been studied to better estimate LR risk after BCS—Oncotype DX DCIS score, DCISionRT Decision Score and its associated Residual Risk subtypes, and Oncotype 21-gene Recurrence Score. All these molecular biomarkers represent important efforts towards improving predicted risk of LR after BCS. To prove clinical utility, these biomarkers require careful predictive modeling with calibration and external validation, and evidence of benefit to patients; on this front, further research is needed. Most trials do not incorporate molecular biomarkers in evaluating de-escalation of therapy for DCIS; however, one—the Prospective Evaluation of Breast-Conserving Surgery Alone in Low-Risk DCIS (ELISA) trial—incorporates the Oncotype DX DCIS score in defining a low-risk population and is an important next step in this line of research.
Intertidal Gleaning Exclusion as a Trigger for Seagrass Species and Fauna Recovery and Passive Seagrass Rehabilitation
Authors: Fanoro Tsiaranto Felan-Ratsimba , Scarlet Maria Perpétua , Bandeira Salomão Olinda
Published: June 2023

This study evaluates gleaning exclusion as an approach for the rehabilitation of seagrass ecosystems and as an option for important intertidal resource management that contributes to the social well-being of communities. The monitoring of seagrass plant and invertebrate recovery after the implementation of gleaning exclusion was conducted over 50 plots of 5 m × 5 m each, which were settled in the seagrass meadow of NW Maputo Bay, Mozambique. The exclusion experiment was designed to compensate for the important loss of seagrass in the area due to gleaning activity characterized mainly by digging and revolving sediments to collect mostly clams. Results showed that, in general, seagrass plant shoot density started having significant positive recovery after five months: three months for Halophila ovalis, five months for Halodule uninvervis, and much more time (>six months) for the IUCN Red List endangered Zostera capensis. For invertebrates, 194 individual invertebrates were collected belonging to 13 species. Solen cylindraceus was the most dominant edible invertebrate species in the local community, and Dosinia hepatica for non-edible species. The result of the experiment showed a positive recovery in the abundance and diversity of invertebrates. The results support previous findings, suggesting that the installation of a no-take zone can enhance the health of an ecosystem. Therefore, to limit the violation and conflicts of the no-take zones, the creation of alternative activities for harvesters and the flexibility of restrictions are vital. Further investigation should be considered to obtain an effective management of the zones, including documentation of species, gleaning practices, and an effective restoration of seagrass meadows.
Comparison of ARIMA and LSTM in Predicting Structural Deformation of Tunnels during Operation Period
Authors: Duan Chuangfeng , Hu Min , Zhang Haozuan
Published: June 2023

Accurately predicting the structural deformation trend of tunnels during operation is significant to improve the scientificity of tunnel safety maintenance. With the development of data science, structural deformation prediction methods based on time-series data have attracted attention. Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average model (ARIMA) is a classical statistical analysis model, which is suitable for processing non-stationary time-series data. Long- and Short-Term Memory (LSTM) is a special cyclic neural network that can learn long-term dependent information in time series. Both are widely used in the field of temporal prediction. In view of the lack of time-series prediction in the tunnel deformation field, the body of this paper uses historical data of the Xinjian Road and the Dalian Road tunnel in Shanghai to propose a new way of modeling based on single points and road sections. ARIMA and LSTM models are applied in comprehensive experiments, and the results show that: (1) Both LSTM and ARIMA models have great performance for settlement and convergence deformation. (2) The overall robustness of ARIMA is better than that of LSTM, and it is more adaptable to the datasets. (3) The model prediction performance is closely related to the data quality. ARIMA has more stable performance under the lack of data volume, while LSTM has better performance with high-quality data and higher upper limit.
Visual Cascaded-Progressive Convolutional Neural Network (C-PCNN) for Diagnosis of Meniscus Injury
Authors: Ma Yingkai , Qin Yong , Liang Chen , Li Xiang , Li Minglei , Wang Ren , Yu Jinping , Xu Xiangning , Lv Songcen , Luo Hao , Jiang Yuchen
Published: June 2023

Objective: The objective of this study is to develop a novel automatic convolutional neural network (CNN) that aids in the diagnosis of meniscus injury, while enabling the visualization of lesion characteristics. This will improve the accuracy and reduce diagnosis times. Methods: We presented a cascaded-progressive convolutional neural network (C-PCNN) method for diagnosing meniscus injuries using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A total of 1396 images collected in the hospital were used for training and testing. The method used for training and testing was 5-fold cross validation. Using intraoperative arthroscopic diagnosis and MRI diagnosis as criteria, the C-PCNN was evaluated based on accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, receiver operating characteristic (ROC), and evaluation performance. At the same time, the diagnostic accuracy of doctors with the assistance of cascade- progressive convolutional neural networks was evaluated. The diagnostic accuracy of a C-PCNN assistant with an attending doctor and chief doctor was compared to evaluate the clinical significance. Results: C-PCNN showed 85.6% accuracy in diagnosing and identifying anterior horn injury, and 92% accuracy in diagnosing and identifying posterior horn injury. The average accuracy of C-PCNN was 89.8%, AUC = 0.86. The diagnosis accuracy of the attending physician with the aid of the C-PCNN was comparable to that of the chief physician. Conclusion: The C-PCNN-based MRI technique for diagnosing knee meniscus injuries has significant practical value in clinical practice. With a high rate of accuracy, clinical auxiliary physicians can increase the speed and accuracy of diagnosis and decrease the number of incorrect diagnoses.
Maximizing Equity in Acute Coronary Syndrome Screening across Sociodemographic Characteristics of Patients
Authors: Bunney Gabrielle , Bloos Sean M. , Graber-Naidich Anna , Pasao Melissa A. , Kabeer Rana , Kim David , Miller Kate , Yiadom Maame Yaa A. B.
Published: June 2023

We compared four methods to screen emergency department (ED) patients for an early electrocardiogram (ECG) to diagnose ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in a 5-year retrospective cohort through observed practice, objective application of screening protocol criteria, a predictive model, and a model augmenting human practice. We measured screening performance by sensitivity, missed acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and STEMI, and the number of ECGs required. Our cohort of 279,132 ED visits included 1397 patients who had a diagnosis of ACS. We found that screening by observed practice augmented with the model delivered the highest sensitivity for detecting ACS (92.9%, 95%CI: 91.4–94.2%) and showed little variation across sex, race, ethnicity, language, and age, demonstrating equity. Although it missed a few cases of ACS (7.6%) and STEMI (4.4%), it did require ECGs on an additional 11.1% of patients compared to current practice. Screening by protocol performed the worst, underdiagnosing young, Black, Native American, Alaskan or Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and Hispanic patients. Thus, adding a predictive model to augment human practice improved the detection of ACS and STEMI and did so most equitably across the groups. Hence, combining human and model screening––rather than relying on either alone––may maximize ACS screening performance and equity.
Genetic Algebras Associated with ξ(a)-Quadratic Stochastic Operators
Authors: Mukhamedov Farrukh , Qaralleh Izzat , Qaisar Taimun , Hasan Mahmoud Alhaj
Published: June 2023

The present paper deals with a class of ξ(a)-quadratic stochastic operators, referred to as QSOs, on a two-dimensional simplex. It investigates the algebraic properties of the genetic algebras associated with ξ(a)-QSOs. Namely, the associativity, characters and derivations of genetic algebras are studied. Moreover, the dynamics of these operators are also explored. Specifically, we focus on a particular partition that results in nine classes, which are further reduced to three nonconjugate classes. Each class gives rise to a genetic algebra denoted as Ai, and it is shown that these algebras are isomorphic. The investigation then delves into analyzing various algebraic properties within these genetic algebras, such as associativity, characters, and derivations. The conditions for associativity and character behavior are provided. Furthermore, a comprehensive analysis of the dynamic behavior of these operators is conducted.
Back-Analysis of Rock Mass Strength at a Radioactive Waste Disposal Site Using Acoustic Emission Monitoring Data and 3D Numerical Modelling
Authors: Deák Ferenc , Perras Matthew A. , Szűcs István , Török Ákos
Published: June 2023

In this study, a new method was examined that used acoustic emission (AE) monitoring data, in combination with a primary Boundary Element stress analysis, to back-calculate rock mass strength. The presented AE data came from the National Radioactive Waste Repository (NRWR) for low- and intermediate-level waste (LLW/ILW). AE monitoring is able to detect the pre-peak, peak, and post-peak stress changes in rock mass. The presented method used AE monitoring data to back-calculate parameters, such as uniaxial compressive strength and the rock mass deformation modulus. The AE initiation threshold was used to develop an objective function that considered the stress in the rock mass and the rock mass strength. The findings of this research propose that most AE events can be related to the crack initiation threshold, and in space, most of them are located at points away from the excavated walls. In the vicinity of the excavation damage zones around the cavities, the stress conditions beyond the crack damage boundary of the rock mass occur in many areas, leading to significant irreversible deformations. This novel method was demonstrated to aid in the prediction of rock mass strength and is a valuable, non-invasive method for improving the spatial prediction of rock mass parameters, which will lead to safer underground storage facilities.
Merchant Energy Storage Investment Analysis Considering Multi-Energy Integration
Authors: Wang Long
Published: June 2023

In this paper, a two-stage model of an integrated energy demand response is proposed, and the quantitative relationship between the two main concerns of investors, i.e., investment return and investment cycle and demand response, is verified by the experimental data. Energy storage technology is a key means through which to deal with the instability of modern energy sources. One of the key development paths in the electricity market is the development by energy merchants of energy storage power plants in the distribution network to engage in a grid demand response. This research proposes a two-stage energy storage configuration approach for a cold-heat-power multi-energy complementary multi-microgrid system. Considering the future bulk connections of distributed power generation, the two most critical points of energy storage station construction are the power generation equipment and specific scenarios for serving the community, as well as the purchase and sale price of electricity for serving the community microgrid (which directly affects the investment revenue). Therefore, this paper focuses on analyzing the different impacts caused by these two issues; namely, the two most important concerns for the construction of energy storage configurations. First, the basic model enabling wholesale electricity traders to construct energy storage power plants is presented. Second, for a multi-microgrid system with a complementary cold-heat-power multi-energy scenario, a two-stage optimum allocation model is constructed, whereby the upper model calculates the energy storage allocation problem and the lower model calculates the optimal dispatch problem. The lower model’s dispatch computation validates the upper configuration model’s reasonableness. Finally, the two-layer model is converted to a single-layer model by the KKT condition, and the nonlinear problem is converted to a linear problem with the big-M method. The validity is proved via mathematical examples, and it is demonstrated that the planned energy storage plants by merchants may accomplish resource savings and mutual advantages for both users and wholesale power traders.
Quantitative Analysis of Isoform Switching in Cancer
Authors: Dolgalev Georgii , Poverennaya Ekaterina
Published: June 2023

Over the past 8 years, multiple studies examined the phenomenon of isoform switching in human cancers and discovered that isoform switching is widespread, with hundreds to thousands of such events per cancer type. Although all of these studies used slightly different definitions of isoform switching, which in part led to a rather poor overlap of their results, they all leveraged transcript usage, a proportion of the transcript’s expression in the total expression level of the parent gene, to detect isoform switching. However, how changes in transcript usage correlate with changes in transcript expression is not sufficiently explored. In this article, we adopt the most common definition of isoform switching and use a state-of-the-art tool for the analysis of differential transcript usage, SatuRn, to detect isoform switching events in 12 cancer types. We analyze the detected events in terms of changes in transcript usage and the relationship between transcript usage and transcript expression on a global scale. The results of our analysis suggest that the relationship between changes in transcript usage and changes in transcript expression is far from straightforward, and that such quantitative information can be effectively used for prioritizing isoform switching events for downstream analyses.
Perspectives for Improving the Tumor Targeting of Nanomedicine via the EPR Effect in Clinical Tumors
Authors: Kim Jinseong , Cho Hanhee , Lim Dong-Kwon , Joo Min Kyung , Kim Kwangmeyung
Published: June 2023

Over the past few decades, the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect of nanomedicine has been a crucial phenomenon in targeted cancer therapy. Specifically, understanding the EPR effect has been a significant aspect of delivering anticancer agents efficiently to targeted tumors. Although the therapeutic effect has been demonstrated in experimental models using mouse xenografts, the clinical translation of the EPR effect of nanomedicine faces several challenges due to dense extracellular matrix (ECM), high interstitial fluid pressure (IFP) levels, and other factors that arise from tumor heterogeneity and complexity. Therefore, understanding the mechanism of the EPR effect of nanomedicine in clinics is essential to overcome the hurdles of the clinical translation of nanomedicine. This paper introduces the basic mechanism of the EPR effect of nanomedicine, the recently discussed challenges of the EPR effect of nanomedicine, and various strategies of recent nanomedicine to overcome the limitations expected from the patients’ tumor microenvironments.
Polyaromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH)-Based Aza-POPOPs: Synthesis, Photophysical Studies, and Nitroanalyte Sensing Abilities
Authors: Mohammed Mohammed S. , Kovalev Igor S. , Slovesnova Natalya V. , Sadieva Leila K. , Platonov Vadim A. , Novikov Alexander S. , Santra Sougata , Morozova Julia E. , Zyryanov Grigory V. , Charushin Valery N. , Ranu Brindaban C.
Published: June 2023

1,4-Bis(5-phenyl-2-oxazolyl)benzene (POPOP) is a common scintillation fluorescent laser dye. In this manuscript, the synthesis of 2-Ar-5-(4-(4-Ar’-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)phenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazoles (Ar, Ar’ = Ph, naphtalenyl-2, pyrenyl-1, triphenilenyl-2), as PAH-based aza-analogues of POPOP, by means of Cu-catalyzed click reaction between 2-(4-azidophenyl)-5-Ar-1,3,4-oxadiazole and terminal ethynyl-substituted PAHs is reported. An investigation of the photophysical properties of the obtained products was carried out, and their sensory response to nitroanalytes was evaluated. In the case of pyrenyl-1-substituted aza-POPOP, dramatic fluorescence quenching by nitroanalytes was observed.
An All-Green Photo-Electrochemical Biosensor Using Microalgae Immobilized on Eco-Designed Lignin-Based Screen-Printed Electrodes to Detect Sustainable Nanoherbicides
Authors: Antonacci Amina , Frisulli Valeria , Carvalho Lucas Bragança , Fraceto Leonardo Fernandes , Miranda Bruno , De Stefano Luca , Johanningmeier Udo , Giardi Maria Teresa , Scognamiglio Viviana
Published: June 2023

Herein, a novel completely green biosensor was designed exploiting both the biological and instrumental components made of eco-friendly materials for the detection of herbicides encapsulated into biodegradable nanoparticles for a sustainable agriculture. Similar nanocarriers, indeed, can deliver herbicides to the correct location, reducing the amount of active chemicals deposited in the plant, impacting the agricultural and food industries less. However, handling measurements of nanoherbicides is crucial to provide comprehensive information about their status in the agricultural fields to support farmers in decision-making. In detail, whole cells of the unicellular green photosynthetic alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii UV180 mutant were immobilized by a green protocol on carbonized lignin screen-printed electrodes and integrated into a photo-electrochemical transductor for the detection of nanoformulated atrazine. Specifically, atrazine encapsulated into zein and chitosan doped poly-ε-caprolactone nanoparticles (atrazine-zein and atrazine-PCL-Ch) were analyzed following the current signals at a fixed applied potential of 0.8 V, in a range between 0.1 and 5 µM, indicating a linear relationship in the measured dose-response curves and a detection limit of 0.9 and 1.1 nM, respectively. Interference studies resulted in no interference from 10 ppb bisphenol A, 1 ppb paraoxon, 100 ppb arsenic, 20 ppb copper, 5 ppb cadmium, and 10 ppb lead at safety limits. Finally, no matrix effect was observed on the biosensor response from wastewater samples and satisfactory recovery values of 106 ± 8% and 93 ± 7% were obtained for atrazine-zein and atrazine-PCL-Ch, respectively. A working stability of 10 h was achieved.
Effects of Different Nitrogen Levels on Lignocellulolytic Enzyme Production and Gene Expression under Straw-State Cultivation in Stropharia rugosoannulata
Authors: Zhang Jinjing , Zhuo Xinyi , Wang Qian , Ji Hao , Chen Hui , Hao Haibo
Published: June 2023

Stropharia rugosoannulata has been used in environmental engineering to degrade straw in China. The nitrogen and carbon metabolisms are the most important factors affecting mushroom growth, and the aim of this study was to understand the effects of different nitrogen levels on carbon metabolism in S. rugosoannulata using transcriptome analysis. The mycelia were highly branched and elongated rapidly in A3 (1.37% nitrogen). GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were mainly involved in starch and sucrose metabolism; nitrogen metabolism; glycine, serine and threonine metabolism; the MAPK signaling pathway; hydrolase activity on glycosyl bonds; and hemicellulose metabolic processes. The activities of nitrogen metabolic enzymes were highest in A1 (0.39% nitrogen) during the three nitrogen levels (A1, A2 and A3). However, the activities of cellulose enzymes were highest in A3, while the hemicellulase xylanase activity was highest in A1. The DEGs associated with CAZymes, starch and sucrose metabolism and the MAPK signaling pathway were also most highly expressed in A3. These results suggested that increased nitrogen levels can upregulate carbon metabolism in S. rugosoannulata. This study could increase knowledge of the lignocellulose bioconversion pathways and improve biodegradation efficiency in Basidiomycetes.
Endothelial Cells and Mitochondria: Two Key Players in Liver Transplantation
Authors: Parente Alessandro , Flores Carvalho Mauricio , Schlegel Andrea
Published: June 2023

Building the inner layer of our blood vessels, the endothelium forms an important line communicating with deeper parenchymal cells in our organs. Previously considered passive, endothelial cells are increasingly recognized as key players in intercellular crosstalk, vascular homeostasis, and blood fluidity. Comparable to other cells, their metabolic function strongly depends on mitochondrial health, and the response to flow changes observed in endothelial cells is linked to their mitochondrial metabolism. Despite the direct impact of new dynamic preservation concepts in organ transplantation, the impact of different perfusion conditions on sinusoidal endothelial cells is not yet explored well enough. This article therefore describes the key role of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) together with their mitochondrial function in the context of liver transplantation. The currently available ex situ machine perfusion strategies are described with their effect on LSEC health. Specific perfusion conditions, including perfusion pressure, duration, and perfusate oxygenation are critically discussed considering the metabolic function and integrity of liver endothelial cells and their mitochondria.
Structural Model of Biomedical and Contextual Factors Predicting In-Hospital Mortality due to Heart Failure
Authors: García-Torrecillas Juan Manuel , Lea-Pereira María Carmen , Alonso-Morillejo Enrique , Moreno-Millán Emilio , de la Fuente-Arias Jesús
Published: June 2023

Background: Among the clinical predictors of a heart failure (HF) prognosis, different personal factors have been established in previous research, mainly age, gender, anemia, renal insufficiency and diabetes, as well as mediators (pulmonary embolism, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), arrhythmias and dyslipidemia). We do not know the role played by contextual and individual factors in the prediction of in-hospital mortality. Methods: The present study has added hospital and management factors (year, type of hospital, length of stay, number of diagnoses and procedures, and readmissions) in predicting exitus to establish a structural predictive model. The project was approved by the Ethics Committee of the province of Almeria. Results: A total of 529,606 subjects participated, through databases of the Spanish National Health System. A predictive model was constructed using correlation analysis (SPSS 24.0) and structural equation models (SEM) analysis (AMOS 20.0) that met the appropriate statistical values (chi-square, usually fit indices and the root-mean-square error approximation) which met the criteria of statistical significance. Individual factors, such as age, gender and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, were found to positively predict mortality risk. Isolated contextual factors (hospitals with a greater number of beds, especially, and also the number of procedures performed, which negatively predicted the risk of death. Conclusions: It was, therefore, possible to introduce contextual variables to explain the behavior of mortality in patients with HF. The size or level of large hospital complexes, as well as procedural effort, are key contextual variables in estimating the risk of mortality in HF.
Protecting the Human Rights of Refugees in Camps in Thailand: The Complementary Role of International Law on Indigenous Peoples
Authors: Nguyen Loi Thi Ngoc
Published: June 2023

This paper investigates whether and how International Law on Indigenous Peoples (ILIP) can complement protections granted under International Refugee Law (IRL) and International Human Rights Law (IHRL) to refugees in camps in Thailand. Presently, there are over 90,000 refugees from Myanmar in Thailand, confined to nine camps along the Thailand–Myanmar border. These refugees belong to different ethnic minority groups, but the vast majority are Karen—Indigenous Peoples from the Thailand–Myanmar border regions. They have fled to Thailand due to persecution by Myanmar authorities and segments of the Myanmar population. To date, Thailand has refused to become a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol. The country has failed to develop an asylum system and its laws continue to regard refugees as ‘illegal migrants’. These refugees have been surviving in conditions of profound rightlessness. I posit that ILIP has a critical role to play in addressing the protection gaps and limitations in IRL and IHRL. In particular, the ILIP system of collective rights is vital in recognising the specific needs of refugees who are indigenous peoples. ILIP therefore provides a potent tool to make IRL and IHRL more responsive to the protection needs of indigenous refugees.
Hybrid BO-XGBoost and BO-RF Models for the Strength Prediction of Self-Compacting Mortars with Parametric Analysis
Authors: Ahmed Asif , Song Wei , Zhang Yumeng , Haque M. Aminul , Liu Xian
Published: June 2023

Self-compacting mortar (SCM) has superior workability and long-term durable performance compared to traditional mortar. The strength of SCM, including both its compressive and flexural strengths, is a crucial property that is determined by appropriate curing conditions and mix design parameters. In the context of materials science, predicting the strength of SCM is challenging because of multiple influencing factors. This study employed machine learning techniques to establish SCM strength prediction models. Based on ten different input parameters, the strength of SCM specimens were predicted using two different types of hybrid machine learning (HML) models, namely Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) and the Random Forest (RF) algorithm. HML models were trained and tested by experimental data from 320 test specimens. In addition, the Bayesian optimization method was utilized to fine tune the hyperparameters of the employed algorithms, and cross-validation was employed to partition the database into multiple folds for a more thorough exploration of the hyperparameter space while providing a more accurate assessment of the model’s predictive power. The results show that both HML models can successfully predict the SCM strength values with high accuracy, and the Bo-XGB model demonstrated higher accuracy (R2 = 0.96 for training and R2 = 0.91 for testing phases) for predicting flexural strength with low error. In terms of compressive strength prediction, the employed BO-RF model performed very well, with R2 = 0.96 for train and R2 = 0.88 testing stages with minor errors. Moreover, the SHAP algorithm, permutation importance and leave-one-out importance score were used for sensitivity analysis to explain the prediction process and interpret the governing input variable parameters of the proposed HML models. Finally, the outcomes of this study might be applied to guide the future mix design of SCM specimens.
Intrinsic Coherence Length Anisotropy in Nickelates and Some Iron-Based Superconductors
Authors: Talantsev Evgeny F.
Published: June 2023

Nickelate superconductors, R1−xAxNiO2 (where R is a rare earth metal and A = Sr, Ca), experimentally discovered in 2019, exhibit many unexplained mysteries, such as the existence of a superconducting state with Tc (up to 18 K) in thin films and yet absent in bulk materials. Another unexplained mystery of nickelates is their temperature-dependent upper critical field, Bc2(T), which can be nicely fitted to two-dimensional (2D) models; however, the deduced film thickness, dsc,GL, exceeds the physical film thickness, dsc, by a manifold. To address the latter, it should be noted that 2D models assume that dsc is less than the in-plane and out-of-plane ground-state coherence lengths, dsc<ξab(0) and dsc<ξc(0), respectively, and, in addition, that the inequality ξc(0)<ξab(0) satisfies. Analysis of the reported experimental Bc2(T) data showed that at least one of these conditions does not satisfy for R1-xAxNiO2 films. This implies that nickelate films are not 2D superconductors, despite the superconducting state being observed only in thin films. Based on this, here we propose an analytical three-dimensional (3D) model for a global data fit of in-plane and out-of-plane Bc2(T) in nickelates. The model is based on a heuristic expression for temperature-dependent coherence length anisotropy: γξ(T)=γξ(0)1−1a×TTc, where a>1 is a unitless free-fitting parameter. The proposed expression for γξ(T), perhaps, has a much broader application because it has been successfully applied to bulk pnictide and chalcogenide superconductors.
Correction: Troschitz et al. Joining Processes for Fibre-Reinforced Thermoplastics: Phenomena and Characterisation. Materials 2022, 15, 5454
Authors: Troschitz Juliane , Gröger Benjamin , Würfel Veit , Kupfer Robert , Gude Maik
Published: June 2023

The authors would like to make the following corrections about the published paper [...]
Intrauterine Growth Restriction Due to Gestational Diabetes: From Pathophysiology to Diagnosis and Management
Authors: Fasoulakis Zacharias , Koutras Antonios , Antsaklis Panos , Theodora Marianna , Valsamaki Asimina , Daskalakis George , Kontomanolis Emmanuel N.
Published: June 2023

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) represents a condition where the fetal weight is less than the 10th percentile for gestational age, or the estimated fetal weight is lower than expected based on gestational age. IUGR can be caused by various factors such as maternal, placental or fetal factors and can lead to various complications for both the fetus and the mother, including fetal distress, stillbirth, preterm delivery, and maternal hypertension. Women with gestational diabetes are at an increased risk of developing IUGR. This article reviews the different aspects of gestational diabetes in addition to IUGR, the diagnostic methods available for IUGR detection, including ultrasound and Doppler studies, discusses the management strategies for women with IUGR and gestational diabetes and analyzes the importance of early detection and timely intervention to improve pregnancy outcomes.
High-Throughput Printability Screening of AlMgSi Alloys for Powder Bed Fusion
Authors: Leijon Freddy , Moverare Johan
Published: June 2023

The importance of both recycling and additive manufacturing (AM) is increasing; however, there has been a limited focus on the development of AM alloys that are compatible in terms of recyclability with the larger scrap loops of wrought 5xxx, 6xxx and cast 3xx aluminium alloys. In this work, the powder bed fusion (PBF) printability of AlMgSi alloys in the interval of 0–30 wt% Mg and 0–4 wt% Si is screened experimentally with a high-throughput method. This method produces PBF-mimicked material by PVD co-sputtering, followed by laser remelting. Strong evidence was found for AlMgSi alloys being printable within two different composition ranges: Si + Mg < 0.7 wt% or for Si + 2/3 Mg > 4 wt% when Mg < 3 wt% and Si > 3 wt%. Increasing the amount of Mg and Si influences the grain structure by introducing fine columnar grains at the melt pool boundary, although the melt pool interior was unaffected. Hardness in an as-built state increased with both Mg and Si, although Si had a neglectable effect at low levels of Mg. Both the evaporative loss of Mg and the amount of Mg in solid solution increased linearly with the amount of Mg.
Enhancement of Feed Source through Three Dimensional Printing
Authors: Shrestha Sujan , Abbas Syed Muzahir , Asadnia Mohsen , Esselle Karu P.
Published: June 2023

The three-dimensional printed wideband prototype (WBP) was proposed, which is able to enhance the horn feed source by generating a more uniform phase distribution that is obtained after correcting aperture phase values. The noted phase variation obtained without the WBP was 163.65∘ for the horn source only, which was decreased to 19.68∘, obtained after the placement of the WBP at a λ/2 distance above the feed horn aperture. The corrected phase value was observed at 6.25 mm (0.25λ) above the top face of the WBP. The use of a five-layer cubic structure is able to generate the proposed WBP with dimensions of 105 mm × 105 mm × 37.5 mm (4.2λ× 4.2λ× 1.5λ), which can improve directivity and gain by 2.5 dB throughout the operating frequency range with a lower side lobe level. The overall dimension of the 3D printed horn was 98.5 mm × 75.6 mm × 192.6 mm (3.94λ× 3.02λ× 7.71λ), where the 100 % infill value was maintained. The horn was painted with a double layer of copper throughout its surface. In a design frequency of 12 GHz, the computed directivity, gain, side lobe level in H- and E- planes were 20.5 dB, 20.5 dB, −26.5 dB, and −12.4 dB with only a 3D printed horn case and, with the proposed prototype placed above this feed source, these values improved to 22.1 dB, 21.9 dB, −15.5 dB, and −17.5 dB, respectively. The realized WBP was 294 g and the overall system was 448 g in weight, which signifies a light weight condition. The measured return loss values were less than 2, which supports that the WBP has matching behavior over the operating frequency range.
Reliability Analysis of Flip-Chip Packaging GaN Chip with Nano-Silver Solder BUMP
Authors: Yan Lei , Liu Peisheng , Xu Pengpeng , Tan Lipeng , Zhang Zhao
Published: June 2023

Gallium nitride (GaN) power devices have many benefits, including high power density, small footprint, high operating voltage, and excellent power gain capability. However, in contrast to silicon carbide (SiC), its performance and reliability can be negatively impacted by its low thermal conductivity, which can cause overheating. Hence, it is necessary to provide a reliable and workable thermal management model. In this paper, a model of a flip-chip packing (FCP) GaN chip was established, and it was assigned to the Ag sinter paste structure. The different solder bumps and under bump metallurgy (UBM) were considered. The results indicated that the FCP GaN chip with underfill was a promising method because it not only reduced the size of the package model but also reduced thermal stress. When the chip was in operation, the thermal stress was about 79 MPa, only 38.77% of the Ag sinter paste structure, lower than any of the GaN chip packaging methods currently in use. Moreover, the thermal condition of the module often has little to do with the material of the UBM. Additionally, nano-silver was found to be the most suitable bump material for FCP GaN chip. Temperature shock experiments were also conducted with different UBM materials when nano-silver was used as bump. It was found that Al as UBM is a more reliable option.
Optimization of Soil-Sludge Mixtures by Compaction for Potential Use in Mine Site Reclamation
Authors: Mbonimpa Mamert , Ngabu Élysée Tshibangu , Belem Tikou , Kanteye Ousseynou , Maqsoud Abdelkabir
Published: June 2023

Studies have indicated the potential of mixtures of silty soil and sludge produced by active treatment of acid mine drainage for use in covers with capillary barrier effects for mine site reclamation. Very high water contents of sludge in the settling pond could negatively affect the required hydrogeotechnical properties of soil sludge mixtures with high sludge contents. The challenge is then to determine the optimum wet sludge content of soil-sludge mixtures with air entry values (AEV) and/or saturated hydraulic conductivity (ksat) required for use in mine site reclamation covers. This paper presents a method to determine the optimum wet sludge content βopt for obtaining the maximum dry density of compacted soil-sludge mixtures. Two types of soil (S1 and S2) and two types of sludge (A and W) were tested. It was observed that βopt can be determined when the initial water content of the soil used in the mixture is lower than the optimum water content determined from the Proctor curve of the soil alone (10 wt% and 6 wt% for soils S1 and S2, respectively) and that βopt does not change with increasing initial soil water content. Optimum wet sludge contents found were low (≈15 wt% and ≈7 wt% for mixtures containing soils S1 and S2, respectively) for the test conditions, indicting a limited quantity of reusable sludge in the mixtures. For all mixtures, the water content corresponding to βopt was close to the optimum water content of the soil alone. Results of soil water retention and saturated hydraulic conductivity (ksat) tests conducted on selected optimized mixtures indicated that the mixtures based on soils S1 and S2 have air entry values higher than 20 kPa and would be suitable for use in the moisture retention layer of covers with capillary barrier effects, while soil S2 and the derived mixtures exhibited ksat < 10−7 cm/s and would be potential materials for the low permeability layer in low saturated hydraulic conductivity covers.
Development of Self-Consistency Models of Anticancer Activity of Nanoparticles under Different Experimental Conditions Using Quasi-SMILES Approach
Authors: Toropov Andrey A. , Toropova Alla P. , Leszczynska Danuta , Leszczynski Jerzy
Published: June 2023

Algorithms of the simulation of the anticancer activity of nanoparticles under different experimental conditions toward cell lines A549 (lung cancer), THP-1 (leukemia), MCF-7 (breast cancer), Caco2 (cervical cancer), and hepG2 (hepatoma) have been developed using the quasi-SMILES approach. This approach is suggested as an efficient tool for the quantitative structure–property–activity relationships (QSPRs/QSARs) analysis of the above nanoparticles. The studied model is built up using the so-called vector of ideality of correlation. The components of this vector include the index of ideality of correlation (IIC) and the correlation intensity index (CII). The epistemological component of this study is the development of methods of registration, storage, and effective use of experimental situations that are comfortable for the researcher-experimentalist in order to be able to control the physicochemical and biochemical consequences of using nanomaterials. The proposed approach differs from the traditional models based on QSPR/QSAR in the following respects: (i) not molecules but experimental situations available in a database are considered; in other words, an answer is offered to the question of how to change the plot of the experiment in order to achieve the desired values of the endpoint being studied; and (ii) the user has the ability to select a list of controlled conditions available in the database that can affect the endpoint and evaluate how significant the influence of the selected controlled experimental conditions is.
Beneficial Effects of Probiotics on Benign Gynaecological Disorders: A Review
Authors: Norfuad Farisha Alia , Mokhtar Mohd Helmy , Nur Azurah Abdul Ghani
Published: June 2023

Probiotics are live microorganisms that confer beneficial effects on human health when an adequate dose is administered. Recently, the use of probiotics has gained tremendous interest from the public due to its promising effects in the management of various reproductive diseases. However, the review of probiotics’ benefits on benign gynaecological disorders, including vaginal infections, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis, remains scarce. Therefore, this review is built on current knowledge on the beneficial effects of probiotics against selected benign gynaecological disorders. Recent findings point out that probiotics’ supplementation in different clinical and in vivo models showed promising health effects and results in the amelioration of disease symptoms. Thus, in this review, we showed the findings of both studies performed in clinical settings and animal studies. However, current information, solely based on clinical trials or animal studies, is inadequate in communicating the excellent findings on the beneficial effects of probiotics on human health. Therefore, future clinical intervention studies are required to further elucidate the evidence of the benefits of probiotics benefits regarding these gynaecological disorders.
Classification and Special Nutritional Needs of SGA Infants and Neonates of Multiple Pregnancies
Authors: Kosmeri Chrysoula , Giapros Vasileios , Rallis Dimitrios , Balomenou Foteini , Serbis Anastasios , Baltogianni Maria
Published: June 2023

Data regarding the nutritional management of preterm small for gestational age (SGA) infants are scarce. In the recent report of ESPGHAN, the recommended energy for very preterm infants during hospitalization has been increased, yet this may not fit the needs of all preterm infants. It is important to distinguish fetal growth-restricted (FGR) infants from constitutional SGA infants, as well as preterm SGA from preterm AGA infants, since they may have different nutritional needs. Preterm FGR infants, and specifically infants < 29 weeks’ gestation, accumulate nutrient deficits due to intrauterine malnutrition, prematurity, morbidities, delayed initiation of feeding, and feeding intolerance. Therefore, these infants may need more aggressive nutrition for optimal catch-up growth and neurologic development. However, a balance should be kept between optimal and excessive catch-up growth, since the combination of intrauterine malnutrition and excessive postnatal growth has been linked with later adverse metabolic consequences. Furthermore, multiple gestation is often complicated by FGR and prematurity. There is controversy in the definition of FGR in multiple gestations, and it should be noted that FGR in multiple gestation usually differs etiologically from FGR in singletons. The aim of this review is to summarize existing knowledge regarding the nutritional needs of preterm FGR and FGR infants of multiple gestation.