bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study of the Dependence of Solar Radiation Regarding Design Variables in Photovoltaic Solar Installations with Optimal Dual-Axis Tracking
Authors: Gómez-Uceda Francisco Javier , Moreno-Garcia Isabel Maria , Perez-Castañeda Álvaro , Fernández-Ahumada Luis Manuel
Published: April 2021

Solar tracking is an efficient strategy to increase the radiative capture of photovoltaic collectors. Within the multiple efforts made in recent decades to improve the production of these facilities, various works have studied solutions to optimize the number of rotation axes (single or dual rotation axes), the degree of collector coverage, the distances between trackers, the geometric arrangement of trackers or the minimization of shading between collectors. However, although in this type of installation it is common to find collectors with geometric shapes other than rectangles, no studies on the influence of the shape of the collectors on the radiative incidence are found in the literature. In this connection, the present work systematically addresses the study of incident solar radiation in photovoltaic installations with dual-axis trackers with collectors of different geometric shapes. By means of the exhaustive study, the conclusion is drawn that, for dual-axis photovoltaic installations with an optimal tracking strategy, the main variables that influence the annual radiative incidence are the spacing between collectors, the coverage ratio (GCR), and the collector surface, while the type of arrangement of collectors and the shape of these do not show predictive values.
Nanostructured Black Nickel Coating as Replacement for Black Cr(VI) Finish
Authors: Mennucci Marina M. , Montes Rodrigo , Bastos Alexandre C. , Monteiro Alcino , Oliveira Pedro , Tedim João , Ferreira Mário G. S.
Published: April 2021

This work compares different electrodeposition procedures to produce nickel black coatings as greener and less toxic alternatives to Cr(VI)-based coatings used in different applications. Nickel and nickel-plated brass served as substrates in studies with a Hull cell and polarization curves. After a set of comparative experiments, the best electrodeposition procedure was further studied and optimized. Optimal conditions were found with a bath consisting of 75 g/L NiCl2·6H2O + 30 g/L NaCl and a current density of 0.143 A dm−2 applied for 5 min at room temperature. Furthermore, a pre-treatment with 18.5 vol.% of hydrochloric acid in water was found to be necessary to warrant good coating adhesion to the substrate. The black color is attributed to the development of a nanostructured surface that absorbs the incident light. Corrosion testing was performed in 0.5 M NaCl aqueous solution using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and polarization tests.
Type I Collagen-Based Devices to Treat Nerve Injuries after Oral Surgery Procedures. A Systematic Review
Authors: Roccuzzo Andrea , Molinero-Mourelle Pedro , Ferrillo Martina , Cobo-Vázquez Carlos , Sanchez-Labrador Luis , Ammendolia Antonio , Migliario Mario , de Sire Alessandro
Published: April 2021

The regeneration of nerve injuries after oral surgery procedures is a quite often attempted procedure in dental medicine. Despite several proposed technical approaches, there is still a lack of consensus on which should be considered the gold standard procedure, even-though in the last decades, the use of collagen-based devices allowing a tension-free direct neurorrhaphy has been used. A systematic search of multiple electronic databases and hand searching was conducted to assess the level of evidence behind the use of type I collagen devices to treat nerve injuries after oral surgery procedures. After screening, four articles (one case series and three retrospective studies) including overall 65 patients suffering from inferior alveolar (IAN)/lingual nerve (LN) injury after mandibular wisdom tooth extraction, met the inclusion criteria and could be included. The Oxford Centre for evidence-based medicine (OCEBM) scaling system was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies. Positive clinical results in terms of sensorial improvements were recorded at least 3 months after surgery, even-though the overall level of evidence is low. The use of collagen membranes to enhance nerve regeneration in oral surgery results in promising results. Nevertheless, additional clinical comparative trials with larger sample sizes are needed.
Electroglottographic Analysis of the Voice in Young Male Role of Kunqu Opera
Authors: Dong Li , Kong Jiangping
Published: April 2021

The phonation types used in the young male role in Kunqu Opera were investigated. Two national young male role singers volunteered as the subjects. Each singer performed three voice conditions: singing, stage speech, and reading lyrics. Three electroglottogram parameters, the fundamental frequency, contact quotient, and speed quotient, were analyzed. Electroglottogram parameters were different between voice conditions. Five phonation types were found by clustering analysis in singing and stage speech: (1) breathy voice, (2) high adduction modal voice, (3) modal voice, (4) untrained falsetto, and (5) high adduction falsetto. The proportion of each phonation type was not identical in singing and stage speech. The relationship between phonation type and pitch was multiple to one in the low pitch range, and one to one in the high pitch range. The sound pressure levels were related to the phonation types. Five phonation types, instead of only the two phonation types (modal voice and falsetto) that are identified in traditional Kunqu Opera singing theory, were concomitantly used in the young male role’s artistic voices. These phonation types were more similar to those of the young female roles than to those of the other male roles in the Kunqu Opera.
Restorative Space Analysis by Jaw Motion Tracking Using a Template in Completely Edentulous Patients
Authors: Han Chol-Gwan , Park Young-Bum , Shim June-Sung , Kim Jong-Eun
Published: April 2021

Improvements in computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing technologies have led to multiple attempts being made to simplify and improve the workflow of prosthesis fabrication for completely edentulous patients. However, most attempts still involve the conventional methods of impression-making and recording the maxillomandibular relationships using alginate, rubber impression materials, and wax materials. In the case of a completely edentulous arch, the presence of movable tissues and the absence of stable landmarks make it difficult to perform direct digitization using an intraoral scanner and to digitally determine the vertical dimension. In the alternative technique described herein, data are obtained by scanning a template such as the patient’s existing old dentures and jaw movement data using target materials and an optical scanner, and an appropriate maxillomandibular relationship that has the desired restorative space is determined on the basis of the obtained trajectory of mandibular movements while opening and closing the mouth. After designing dentures on the basis of the newly established maxillomandibular relationships and performing a try-in process, the final dentures can be manufactured. This alternative technique can reduce the need for multiple visits and complex procedures, improving the workflow for fabricating prostheses with the correct maxillomandibular relationships for individual patients.
Indoor Acoustic Requirements for Autism-Friendly Spaces
Authors: Bettarello Federica , Caniato Marco , Scavuzzo Giuseppina , Gasparella Andrea
Published: April 2021

The architecture of spaces for people on the autistic spectrum is evolving toward inclusive design, which should fit the requirements for independent, autonomous living, and proper support for relatives and caregivers. The use of smart sensor systems represents a valuable support to internal design in order to achieve independent living for impaired people. Accordingly, these devices can monitor or prevent hazardous situations, ensuring security and privacy. Acoustic sensor systems, for instance, could be used in order to realize a passive monitoring system. The correct functioning of such devices needs optimal indoor acoustic criteria. Nevertheless, these criteria should also comply with dedicated acoustic requests that autistic individuals with hearing impairment or hypersensitivity to sound could need. Thus, this research represents the first attempt to balance, integrate, and develop these issues, presenting (i) a wide literature overview related to both topics, (ii) a focused analysis on real facility, and (iii) a final optimization, which takes into account, merges, and elucidates all the presented unsolved issues.
Characteristics of French Fries and Potato Chips in Aspect of Acrylamide Content—Methods of Reducing the Toxic Compound Content in Ready Potato Snacks
Authors: Tajner-Czopek Agnieszka , Kita Agnieszka , Rytel Elżbieta
Published: April 2021

The reduction of toxic acrylamide content in potato snacks, i.e., French fries and potato chips, is necessary due to the adverse effects of this compound on the human body. Therefore, in the presented review paper, a detailed characterization of French fries and chips in terms of AA content and their organoleptic quality is included. Detailed information was also collected on the raw material and technological factors that affect the formation of acrylamide content, including methods and techniques affecting the reduction of the amount of this compound in potato snacks. The obligation to control the level of acrylamide in various food products (including fried potato snacks with a higher content of this compound), introduced in 2018, has mobilized manufacturers to seek solutions, while scientists conduct further intensive research on the possibility of reducing the level of AA or even eliminating its presence from products. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct such activities, especially, because potato French fries and potato chips are willingly consumed by younger and younger consumers.
Assessing Changes in Diabetic Retinopathy Caused by Diabetes Mellitus and Glaucoma Using Support Vector Machines in Combination with Differential Evolution Algorithm
Authors: Anton Nicoleta , Dragoi Elena Niculina , Tarcoveanu Filip , Ciuntu Roxana Elena , Lisa Cătălin , Curteanu Silvia , Doroftei Bogdan , Ciuntu Bogdan Mihnea , Chiseliţă Dorin , Bogdănici Camelia Margareta
Published: April 2021

The aim of this study is to evaluate the changes related to diabetic retinopathy (DR) (no changes, small or moderate changes) in patients with glaucoma and diabetes using artificial intelligence instruments: Support Vector Machines (SVM) in combination with a powerful optimization algorithm—Differential Evolution (DE). In order to classify the DR changes and to make predictions in various situations, an approach including SVM optimized with DE was applied. The role of the optimizer was to automatically determine the SVM parameters that lead to the lowest classification error. The study was conducted on a sample of 52 patients: particularly, 101 eyes with glaucoma and diabetes mellitus, in the Ophthalmology Clinic I of the “St. Spiridon” Clinical Hospital of Iaşi. The criteria considered in the modelling action were normal or hypertensive open-angle glaucoma, intraocular hypertension and associated diabetes. The patients with other types of glaucoma pseudoexfoliation, pigment, cortisone, neovascular and primitive angle-closure, and those without associated diabetes, were excluded. The assessment of diabetic retinopathy changes were carried out with Volk lens and Fundus Camera Zeiss retinal photography on the dilated pupil, inspecting all quadrants. The criteria for classifying the DR (early treatment diabetic retinopathy study—ETDRS) changes were: without changes (absence of DR), mild forma nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (the presence of a single micro aneurysm), moderate form (micro aneurysms, hemorrhages in 2–3 quadrants, venous dilatations and soft exudates in a quadrant), severe form (micro aneurysms, hemorrhages in all quadrants, venous dilatation in 2–3 quadrants) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (disk and retinal neovascularization in different quadrants). Any new clinical element that occurred in subsequent checks, which led to their inclusion in severe nonproliferative or proliferative forms of diabetic retinopathy, was considered to be the result of the progression of diabetic retinopathy. The results obtained were very good; in the testing phase, a 95.23% accuracy has been obtained, only one sample being wrongly classified. The effectiveness of the classification algorithm (SVM), developed in optimal form with DE, and used in predictions of retinal changes related to diabetes, was demonstrated.
Computational Analysis Predicts Hundreds of Coding lncRNAs in Zebrafish
Authors: Mishra Shital Kumar , Wang Han
Published: April 2021

Recent studies have demonstrated that numerous long noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs having more than 200 nucleotide base pairs (lncRNAs)) actually encode functional micropeptides, which likely represents the next regulatory biology frontier. Thus, identification of coding lncRNAs from ever-increasing lncRNA databases would be a bioinformatic challenge. Here we employed the Coding Potential Alignment Tool (CPAT), Coding Potential Calculator 2 (CPC2), LGC web server, Coding-Non-Coding Identifying Tool (CNIT), RNAsamba, and MicroPeptide identification tool (MiPepid) to analyze approximately 21,000 zebrafish lncRNAs and computationally to identify 2730–6676 zebrafish lncRNAs with high coding potentials, including 313 coding lncRNAs predicted by all the six bioinformatic tools. We also compared the sensitivity and specificity of these six bioinformatic tools for identifying lncRNAs with coding potentials and summarized their strengths and weaknesses. These predicted zebrafish coding lncRNAs set the stage for further experimental studies.
Emergence of Colistin and Carbapenem Resistance in Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolated from Chickens and Humans in Egypt
Authors: Elmonir Walid , Abd El-Aziz Norhan K. , Tartor Yasmine H. , Moustafa Samar M. , Abo Remela Etab M. , Eissa Radwa , Saad Hosam A. , Tawab Ahmed Abdel
Published: April 2021

This study investigated the frequency of carbapenem and colistin resistance in ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae (ESBLK) isolates recovered from chickens and their environment, contact farm workers and hospitalized patients in Egypt. Further, the phenotypic and genotypic relationships between the community and hospital-acquired K. pneumoniae isolates in the same geographical area were investigated. From 272 total samples, 37 (13.6%) K. pneumoniae isolates were identified, of which 20 (54.1%) were hypervirulent. All isolates (100%) were multidrug-resistant (MDR) with multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) indices ranging from 0.19 to 0.94. Colistin-resistant isolates (18.9%) displayed colistin MIC values >2 μg/mL, all harbored the mcr-1 gene. All isolates from patients (13/90, 14.4%), workers (5/22, 22.7%), chickens (9/100, 9%) and the environment (10/60, 16.7%) harbored a single or multiple β-lactamase genes, blaSHV, blaTEM, blaCTX-M1 and blaOXA-1, often in combination with carbapenemase genes (blaVIM, blaNDM-1 or blaIMP; 45.9%), the mcr-1 gene (18.9%) or both (13.5%). Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)–PCR genotyping revealed 24 distinct ERIC types (ETs) with a discrimination index of 0.961. Six ETs showed clusters of identical isolates from chicken and human sources. The increased frequency and genetic relatedness of ESBLK and carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae (CPK) from chickens and humans pose a public health threat that urge more prudent use of antimicrobials in chicken farms to avoid the propagation and expansion of both ESBLK and CPK from the chicken sources to humans.
Immunohistochemical Analysis of the Expression of Adhesion Proteins: TNS1, TNS2 and TNS3 in Correlation with Clinicopathological Parameters in Gastric Cancer
Authors: Nizioł Marcin , Zińczuk Justyna , Zaręba Konrad , Guzińska-Ustymowicz Katarzyna , Pryczynicz Anna
Published: April 2021

Tensins belong to the group of adhesion proteins that are involved in cell adhesion and migration, actin cytoskeleton maintenance and intercellular communication. TNS1, TNS2 and TNS3 proteins expression was evaluated in 90 patients with gastric cancer by immunohistochemistry method. TNS1 was more frequently present in non-differentiated tumors compared to poorly and moderately differentiated tumors (p = 0.016). TNS1 was also more often observed in metastatic tumors compared to those without distant metastases (p = 0.001). TNS2 was more common in moderately differentiated tumors than in poorly or non-differentiated ones (p = 0.041). TNS2 expression was also more frequently present in tumors with peritumoral inflammation (p = 0.041) and with concomitant H. pylori infection (p = 0.023). In contrast, TNS3 protein was more prevalent in moderately than in poorly and non-differentiated tumors (p = 0.023). No significant relationship was found between tensins’ expression and the overall survival rate of patients. TNS1 protein expression is associated with a poor-prognosis type of GC. Higher expression of TNS2 is accompanied by peritumoral inflammation and H. pylori infection, which favor the development of GC of a better prognosis, similarly to higher TNS3 protein expression.
CSConv2d: A 2-D Structural Convolution Neural Network with a Channel and Spatial Attention Mechanism for Protein-Ligand Binding Affinity Prediction
Authors: Wang Xun , Liu Dayan , Zhu Jinfu , Rodriguez-Paton Alfonso , Song Tao
Published: April 2021

The binding affinity of small molecules to receptor proteins is essential to drug discovery and drug repositioning. Chemical methods are often time-consuming and costly, and models for calculating the binding affinity are imperative. In this study, we propose a novel deep learning method, namely CSConv2d, for protein-ligand interactions’ prediction. The proposed method is improved by a DEEPScreen model using 2-D structural representations of compounds as input. Furthermore, a channel and spatial attention mechanism (CS) is added in feature abstractions. Data experiments conducted on ChEMBLv23 datasets show that CSConv2d performs better than the original DEEPScreen model in predicting protein-ligand binding affinity, as well as some state-of-the-art DTIs (drug-target interactions) prediction methods including DeepConv-DTI, CPI-Prediction, CPI-Prediction+CS, DeepGS and DeepGS+CS. In practice, the docking results of protein (PDB ID: 5ceo) and ligand (Chemical ID: 50D) and a series of kinase inhibitors are operated to verify the robustness.
Oxidation of Aqueous Toluene by Gas-Phase Pulsed Corona Discharge in Air-Water Mixtures Followed by Photocatalytic Exhaust Air Cleaning
Authors: Kask Maarja , Krichevskaya Marina , Preis Sergei , Bolobajev Juri
Published: April 2021

The treatment of wastewaters containing hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) requires the simultaneous treatment of both water and air. Refractory toluene, extensively studied for its removal, provides a basis for the comparison of its abatement methods. The oxidation of aqueous toluene by gas-phase pulsed corona discharge (PCD) in combination with the subsequent photocatalytic treatment of exhaust air was studied. The PCD treatment showed unequalled energy efficiencies in aqueous and gaseous toluene oxidation, reaching, respectively, up to 10.5 and 29.6 g·kW−1·h−1. The PCD exhaust air contained toluene residues and ozone in concentrations not exceeding 0.1 and 0.6 mg·L−1, respectively. As a result of the subsequent photocatalytic treatment, both airborne residues were eliminated within a contact time with TiO2 as short as 12 s. The results contribute to the possible application of the studied approach in closed-loop energy-saving ventilation systems.
The Effect of Co Incorporation on the CO Oxidation Activity of LaFe1−xCoxO3 Perovskites
Authors: Dreyer Maik , Krebs Moritz , Najafishirtari Sharif , Rabe Anna , Friedel Ortega Klaus , Behrens Malte
Published: April 2021

Perovskite oxides are versatile materials due to their wide variety of compositions offering promising catalytic properties, especially in oxidation reactions. In the presented study, LaFe1−xCoxO3 perovskites were synthesized by hydroxycarbonate precursor co-precipitation and thermal decomposition thereof. Precursor and calcined materials were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TG), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). The calcined catalysts were in addition studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and N2 physisorption. The obtained perovskites were applied as catalysts in transient CO oxidation, and in operando studies of CO oxidation in diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS). A pronounced increase in activity was already observed by incorporating 5% cobalt into the structure, which continued, though not linearly, at higher loadings. This could be most likely due to the enhanced redox properties as inferred by H2-temperature programmed reduction (H2-TPR). Catalysts with higher Co contents showing higher activities suffered less from surface deactivation related to carbonate poisoning. Despite the similarity in the crystalline structures upon Co incorporation, we observed a different promotion or suppression of various carbonate-related bands, which could indicate different surface properties of the catalysts, subsequently resulting in the observed non-linear CO oxidation activity trend at higher Co contents.
Role of the TRP Channels in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Development and Progression
Authors: Mesquita Gonçalo , Prevarskaya Natalia , Schwab Albrecht , Lehen’kyi V’yacheslav
Published: April 2021

The transient receptor potential channels (TRPs) have been related to several different physiologies that range from a role in sensory physiology (including thermo- and osmosensation) to a role in some pathologies like cancer. The great diversity of functions performed by these channels is represented by nine sub-families that constitute the TRP channel superfamily. From the mid-2000s, several reports have shown the potential role of the TRP channels in cancers of multiple origin. The pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide. Its prevalence is predicted to rise further. Disappointingly, the treatments currently used are ineffective. There is an urgency to find new ways to counter this disease and one of the answers may lie in the ion channels belonging to the superfamily of TRP channels. In this review, we analyse the existing knowledge on the role of TRP channels in the development and progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The functions of these channels in other cancers are also considered. This might be of interest for an extrapolation to the pancreatic cancer in an attempt to identify potential therapeutic interventions.
Efficacy of Intact Cord Resuscitation Compared to Immediate Cord Clamping on Cardiorespiratory Adaptation at Birth in Infants with Isolated Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CHIC)
Authors: Le Duc Kévin , Mur Sébastien , Rakza Thameur , Boukhris Mohamed Riadh , Rousset Céline , Vaast Pascal , Westlynk Nathalie , Aubry Estelle , Sharma Dyuti , Storme Laurent
Published: April 2021

Resuscitation at birth of infants with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) remains highly challenging because of severe failure of cardiorespiratory adaptation at birth. Usually, the umbilical cord is clamped immediately after birth. Delaying cord clamping while the resuscitation maneuvers are started may: (1) facilitate blood transfer from placenta to baby to augment circulatory blood volume; (2) avoid loss of venous return and decrease in left ventricle filling caused by immediate cord clamping; (3) prevent initial hypoxemia because of sustained uteroplacental gas exchange after birth when the cord is intact. The aim of this trial is to evaluate the efficacy of intact cord resuscitation compared to immediate cord clamping on cardiorespiratory adaptation at birth in infants with isolated CDH. The Congenital Hernia Intact Cord (CHIC) trial is a prospective multicenter open-label randomized controlled trial in two balanced parallel groups. Participants are randomized either immediate cord clamping (the cord will be clamped within the first 15 s after birth) or to intact cord resuscitation group (umbilical cord will be kept intact during the first part of the resuscitation). The primary end-point is the number of infants with APGAR score <4 at 1 min or <7 at 5 min. One hundred eighty participants are expected for this trial. To our knowledge, CHIC is the first study randomized controlled trial evaluating intact cord resuscitation on newborn infant with congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Better cardiorespiratory adaptation is expected when the resuscitation maneuvers are started while the cord is still connected to the placenta.
Phenotypic Differences in a PRPH2 Mutation in Members of the Same Family Assessed with OCT and OCTA
Authors: Albertos-Arranz Henar , Sánchez-Sáez Xavier , Martínez-Gil Natalia , Pinilla Isabel , Coco-Martin Rosa M. , Delgado Jesús , Cuenca Nicolás
Published: April 2021

Choroidal dystrophies comprise a group of chorioretinal degenerations. However, the different findings observed among these patients make it difficult to establish a correct clinical diagnosis. The objective of this study was to characterize new clinical findings by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in these patients. Four family members with a PRPH2 gene mutation (p.Arg195Leu) were included. OCT was performed at the macula, and the thickness of the outer and inner retina, total retina, and choroid was measured. The features of the vascular network were analyzed by OCTA. Patients showed a decreased outer nuclear layer in the avascular area compared with the controls. Two patients presented greater foveal and parafoveal degeneration of the outer retina, whereas the most degenerated area in the rest was the perifovea. Disruption of the third outer band at the foveola is one of the first-altered outer bands. Slow blood flow areas or capillary dropout were main signs in the deep capillary plexus. Microaneurysms were frequently observed in less degenerated retinas. Vascular loops and intraretinal microvascular abnormalities (IRMAs) were present in the superficial plexus. Extensive degeneration of the choriocapillaris was detected. Phenotypic differences were found between patients: two showed central areolar choroidal dystrophy and the rest had extensive chorioretinal atrophy. These signs observed in OCT and OCTA can help to more appropriately define the clinical disease in patients with choroidal dystrophies.
MYD88L265P Detection in IgM Monoclonal Gammopathies: Methodological Considerations for Routine Implementation
Authors: Ferrante Martina , Furlan Daniela , Zibellini Silvia , Borriero Michela , Candido Chiara , Sahnane Nora , Uccella Silvia , Genuardi Elisa , Alessandria Beatrice , Bianchi Benedetta , Mora Barbara , Grimaldi Daniele , Defrancesco Irene , Jiménez Cristina , Cavallo Federica , Ferrero Dario , Dogliotti Irene , Merli Michele , Varettoni Marzia , Ferrero Simone , Drandi Daniela
Published: April 2021

In IgM monoclonal gammopathies MYD88L265P is a prognostic and predictive biomarker of therapy response. MYD88L265P detection is mainly performed by allele-specific quantitative PCR (ASqPCR), however recently, droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) has been proved to be suitable for MYD88L265P screening and minimal residual disease monitoring (MRD). This study compared ASqPCR and ddPCR to define the most sensitive method for MYD88L265P detection in bone marrow (BM), peripheral blood (PB) sorted or unsorted CD19+ cells, and in plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA). Overall, the analysis showed a good concordance rate (74%) between the two methods, especially in BM samples, while discordances (26%) were mostly in favor of ddPCR (ddPCR+ vs. ASqPCR-) and were particularly evident in samples with low mutational burden, such as PB and cfDNA. This study highlights ddPCR as a feasible approach for MYD88L265P detection across different specimen types (including cfDNA). Interestingly, its high sensitivity makes CD19+ selection dispensable. On the other hand, our results showed that MYD88L265P detection on PB samples, especially with ASqPCR, is suboptimal for screening and MRD analysis. Finally, significantly different MYD88L265P mutational levels observed between Waldenström Macroglobulinemia and IgM monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance patients suggest the need for further studies in order to identify possible correlations between mutational levels and risk of progression to Waldenström.
Effect of 10% Carbamide Peroxide on Tooth Shade, Plaque Index and Gingival Index during Invisalign Treatment
Authors: Seleem Dalia , Dadjoo Shaahin , Ha Ambrose , Santos Caitlyn , Mirfarsi Sahar , Matsumura-Lem Karen , Lazarchik David
Published: April 2021

Invisalign has improved periodontal health in comparison to traditional metal wire braces. Due to a growing interest in attaining better teeth esthetics, there are more adults seeking Invisalign treatment. Ten percent carbamide peroxide (CP) breaks down to 6.5% urea and 3.5% hydrogen peroxide, which elevates oral pH, removes stains, and diminishes caries by inhibiting plaque formation. The aim of this study is to investigate whether 10% CP use during Invisalign treatment can enhance tooth shade esthetics while decreasing plaque levels and improving gingival health indices. Twenty-eight patients at Western University dental center undergoing Invisalign were assigned to two groups where the experimental group applied daily bleaching material (10% CP, Ultradent Inc., South Jordan, UT, USA), while the control group did not for 4 weeks. Tooth shade, plaque index (PI), and gingival index (GI) were assessed at baseline and in 2-week intervals for 6 weeks. Results showed that 10% CP had significant change in tooth shade over the 2- and 4-weeks periods (p < 0.05) and significantly reduced plaque and gingival indices (p < 0.05), with minimal to no relapse after 2 weeks post-op. Thus, applying CP at 10% may be a useful application during Invisalign treatment in improving teeth shade and overall gingival health.
GateRL: Automated Circuit Design Framework of CMOS Logic Gates Using Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Nam Hyoungsik , Kim Young-In , Bae Jina , Lee Junhee
Published: April 2021

This paper proposes a GateRL that is an automated circuit design framework of CMOS logic gates based on reinforcement learning. Because there are constraints in the connection of circuit elements, the action masking scheme is employed. It also reduces the size of the action space leading to the improvement on the learning speed. The GateRL consists of an agent for the action and an environment for state, mask, and reward. State and reward are generated from a connection matrix that describes the current circuit configuration, and the mask is obtained from a masking matrix based on constraints and current connection matrix. The action is given rise to by the deep Q-network of 4 fully connected network layers in the agent. In particular, separate replay buffers are devised for success transitions and failure transitions to expedite the training process. The proposed network is trained with 2 inputs, 1 output, 2 NMOS transistors, and 2 PMOS transistors to design all the target logic gates, such as buffer, inverter, AND, OR, NAND, and NOR. Consequently, the GateRL outputs one-transistor buffer, two-transistor inverter, two-transistor AND, two-transistor OR, three-transistor NAND, and three-transistor NOR. The operations of these resultant logics are verified by the SPICE simulation.
Facial Emotion Recognition Using Transfer Learning in the Deep CNN
Authors: Akhand M. A. H. , Roy Shuvendu , Siddique Nazmul , Kamal Md Abdus Samad , Shimamura Tetsuya
Published: April 2021

Human facial emotion recognition (FER) has attracted the attention of the research community for its promising applications. Mapping different facial expressions to the respective emotional states are the main task in FER. The classical FER consists of two major steps: feature extraction and emotion recognition. Currently, the Deep Neural Networks, especially the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), is widely used in FER by virtue of its inherent feature extraction mechanism from images. Several works have been reported on CNN with only a few layers to resolve FER problems. However, standard shallow CNNs with straightforward learning schemes have limited feature extraction capability to capture emotion information from high-resolution images. A notable drawback of the most existing methods is that they consider only the frontal images (i.e., ignore profile views for convenience), although the profile views taken from different angles are important for a practical FER system. For developing a highly accurate FER system, this study proposes a very Deep CNN (DCNN) modeling through Transfer Learning (TL) technique where a pre-trained DCNN model is adopted by replacing its dense upper layer(s) compatible with FER, and the model is fine-tuned with facial emotion data. A novel pipeline strategy is introduced, where the training of the dense layer(s) is followed by tuning each of the pre-trained DCNN blocks successively that has led to gradual improvement of the accuracy of FER to a higher level. The proposed FER system is verified on eight different pre-trained DCNN models (VGG-16, VGG-19, ResNet-18, ResNet-34, ResNet-50, ResNet-152, Inception-v3 and DenseNet-161) and well-known KDEF and JAFFE facial image datasets. FER is very challenging even for frontal views alone. FER on the KDEF dataset poses further challenges due to the diversity of images with different profile views together with frontal views. The proposed method achieved remarkable accuracy on both datasets with pre-trained models. On a 10-fold cross-validation way, the best achieved FER accuracies with DenseNet-161 on test sets of KDEF and JAFFE are 96.51% and 99.52%, respectively. The evaluation results reveal the superiority of the proposed FER system over the existing ones regarding emotion detection accuracy. Moreover, the achieved performance on the KDEF dataset with profile views is promising as it clearly demonstrates the required proficiency for real-life applications.
Biotechnological Processes in Fruit Vinegar Production
Authors: Luzón-Quintana Luz María , Castro Remedios , Durán-Guerrero Enrique
Published: April 2021

The production of fruit vinegars as a way of making use of fruit by-products is an option widely used by the food industry, since surplus or second quality fruit can be used without compromising the quality of the final product. The acetic nature of vinegars and its subsequent impact on the organoleptic properties of the final product allows almost any type of fruit to be used for its elaboration. A growing number of scientific research studies are being carried out on this matrix, and they are revealing the importance of controlling the processes involved in vinegar elaboration. Thus, in this review, we will deal with the incidence of technological and biotechnological processes on the elaboration of fruit vinegars other than grapes. The preparation and production of the juice for the elaboration of the vinegar by means of different procedures is an essential step for the final quality of the product, among which crushing or pressing are the most employed. The different conditions and processing methods of both alcoholic and acetic fermentation also affect significantly the final characteristics of the vinegar produced. For the alcoholic fermentation, the choice between spontaneous or inoculated procedure, together with the microorganisms present in the process, have special relevance. For the acetic fermentation, the type of acetification system employed (surface or submerged) is one of the most influential factors for the final physicochemical properties of fruit vinegars. Some promising research lines regarding fruit vinegar production are the use of commercial initiators to start the acetic fermentation, the use of thermotolerant bacteria that would allow acetic fermentation to be carried out at higher temperatures, or the use of innovative technologies such as high hydrostatic pressure, ultrasound, microwaves, pulsed electric fields, and so on, to obtain high-quality fruit vinegars.
Food Industry By-Products as Raw Materials in the Production of Value-Added Corn Snack Products
Authors: Jozinović Antun , Šubarić Drago , Ačkar Đurđica , Babić Jurislav , Orkić Vedran , Guberac Sunčica , Miličević Borislav
Published: April 2021

The addition of brewer’s spent grain (BSG), sugar beet pulp (SBP) and apple pomace (AP), on the nutritional properties of directly expanded snack products based on corn grits was investigated. Snack products were produced in a laboratory single screw extruder with the addition of 5, 10 and 15% d. m. of these by-products in corn grits. Chemical composition, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, dietary fiber, resistant starch, starch damage and pasting properties of the mixtures and extruded samples were determined. Extrusion process and by-product additions had a significant effect on the proximate chemical composition. All three by-products increased contents of both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber, while the extrusion caused a reduction of insoluble fiber and increase of soluble fiber. After the extrusion process starch damage and antioxidant activity increased, while resistant starch content and total polyphenol content decreased. According to obtained results, it can be concluded that the investigated by-products can be used in the production of nutritionally more valuable corn snacks.
Impact of Processing Technology on Macro- and Micronutrient Profile of Protein-Enriched Products from Fish Backbones
Authors: Abdollahi Mehdi , Wu Haizhou , Undeland Ingrid
Published: April 2021

Impacts of processing technology (mechanical separation and pH-shift processing) on protein recovery from salmon, herring and cod backbones and the content of macro- and micronutrients in the recovered protein enriched products were investigated. Mechanical separation led to higher protein recovery compared with the pH-shift process and using both techniques, recovery ranked the species as herring > salmon > cod. However, the pH-shift process up-concentrated protein from herring and salmon backbones more efficiently than mechanical separation by removing more fat and ash. This consequently reduced n-3 PUFA and vitamin D content in their protein isolates compared with the backbones and mechanically separated meat (MSM). Cod protein isolate, however, contained higher levels of these nutrients compared with MSM. Mechanical separation concentrated vitamins E and C in salmon MSM but not for cod and herring. Opposite, pH-shift processing reduced levels of these two vitamins for cod and herring backbones, while vitamins D and C were reduced for salmon. For minerals, selenium, calcium, magnesium, and potassium were lower in protein isolates than MSM, while copper, zinc, iron and manganese were similar or higher. Overall, there is a major potential for upcycling of fish backbones to food ingredients, but processing technology should be carefully balanced against the desired nutrient profile and final application area.
The Functionality of Inulin as a Sugar Replacer in Cakes and Biscuits; Highlighting the Influence of Differences in Degree of Polymerisation on the Properties of Cake Batter and Product
Authors: Tsatsaragkou Kleopatra , Methven Lisa , Chatzifragkou Afroditi , Rodriguez-Garcia Julia
Published: April 2021

Sugar has multiple roles in baked products; competing for water and as such reducing starch gelatinisation and gluten development, behaving as a fluid during cooking, recrystallising on cooling; roles which influence properties such as aeration, texture and mouthfeel. Partial replacement with inulin, can provide beneficial nutritional and functional properties. This paper investigated the degree of polymerisation (DP) of two commercial inulins and their influence on baked product properties as a 30% sugar replacer. The two inulins varied substantially in their proportion of longer fructans (32.7% compared to 17.5% of DP > 11). The lower DP inulin led to a cake batter with very similar viscoelastic properties to the standard sugar batter, and subsequently to a very similar baked cake crumb structure, cake texture and mouthfeel. The higher DP inulin led to a more viscous batter, and cake with a less homogenous crumb structure that was perceived to be dryer and more mouthcoating. The subsequent use of the lower DP inulin in a biscuit formulation resulted in a slightly less elastic dough and consequently a softer and less crunchy biscuit. In summary, the success of inulin in providing functional properties that can enable sugar reduction in baked products is dependent on the degree of polymerisation of the inulin and rheological parameters needed in the specific bakery matrix.
Smart Protocols for Physical Therapy of Foot Drop Based on Functional Electrical Stimulation: A Case Study
Authors: Malešević Jovana , Konstantinović Ljubica , Bijelić Goran , Malešević Nebojša
Published: April 2021

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is used for treating foot drop by delivering electrical pulses to the anterior tibialis muscle during the swing phase of gait. This treatment requires that a patient can walk, which is mostly possible in the later phases of rehabilitation. In the early phase of recovery, the therapy conventionally consists of stretching exercises, and less commonly of FES delivered cyclically. Nevertheless, both approaches minimize patient engagement, which is inconsistent with recent findings that the full rehabilitation potential could be achieved by an active psycho-physical engagement of the patient during physical therapy. Following this notion, we proposed smart protocols whereby the patient sits and ankle movements are FES-induced by self-control. In six smart protocols, movements of the paretic ankle were governed by the non-paretic ankle with different control strategies, while in the seventh voluntary movements of the paretic ankle were used for stimulation triggering. One stroke survivor in the acute phase of recovery participated in the study. During the therapy, the patient’s voluntary ankle range of motion increased and reached the value of normal gait after 15 sessions. Statistical analysis did not reveal the differences between the protocols in FES-induced movements.
Optimized Surgical Strategy for Adult Spinal Deformity: Quantitative Lordosis Correction versus Lordosis Morphology
Authors: Im Sang-Kyu , Lee Ki Young , Lim Hae Seong , Suh Dong Uk , Lee Jung-Hee
Published: April 2021

Background: In surgical correction of adult spinal deformity (ASD), pelvic incidence (PI)-lumbar lordosis (LL) plays a key role to restore normal sagittal alignment. Recently, it has been found that postoperative lordosis morphology act as an important factor in preventing mechanical complications. However, there have been no studies on the effect of postoperative lordosis morphology on the restoration of sagittal alignment. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of postoperative lordosis morphology on achievement of optimal sagittal alignment. The secondary objective was to find out which radiographic or morphologic parameter affects sagittal alignment in surgical correction of ASD. Methods: 228 consecutive patients with lumbar degenerative kyphosis who underwent deformity correction and long-segment fixation from T10 to S1 with sacropelvic fixation and follow-up over 2 years were enrolled. Patients were divided according to whether optimal alignment was achieved (balanced group) or not (non-balanced group) at last follow-up. We analyzed the differences of postoperative radiographic parameters and morphologic parameters between two groups. Correlation analysis and stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was performed to predict the effect of PI-LL and morphologic parameters on the sagittal vertical axis (SVA). Results: Of 228 patients, 195 (85.5%) achieved optimal alignment at last follow-up. Two groups significantly differed in postoperative and last follow-up LL (p < 0.001 and p = 0.028, respectively) and postoperative and last follow-up PI-LL (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively). Morphologic parameters did not significantly differ between the two groups except lower lordosis arc angle (=postoperative sacral slope). In correlation analysis and stepwise multiple linear regression analysis, postoperative PI-LL was the only parameter which had significant association with last follow-up SVA (R2 = 0.134, p < 0.001). Morphologic parameters did not have any association with last follow-up SVA. Conclusions: When planning spine reconstruction surgery, although considering postoperative lordosis morphology is necessary, it is still very important considering proportional lordosis correction based on individual spinopelvic alignment (PI-LL) to achieve optimal sagittal alignment.
Decreased CRRT Filter Lifespan in COVID-19 ICU Patients
Authors: Legouis David , Montalbano Maria F. , Siegenthaler Nils , Thieffry Camille , Assouline Benjamin , Marti Pierre Emmanuel , Sgardello Sebastian D. , Andreetta Claudio , Binvignat Céline , Pugin Jérôme , Heidegger Claudia , Sangla Frédéric
Published: April 2021

(1) Background: Increased thromboembolic events and an increased need for continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) have been frequently reported in COVID-19 patients. Our aim was to investigate CRRT filter lifespan in intensive care unit (ICU) COVID-19 patients. (2) Methods: We compared CRRT adjusted circuit lifespan in COVID-19 patients admitted for SARS-CoV-2 infection to a control group of patients admitted for septic shock of pulmonary origin other than COVID-19. Both groups underwent at least one session of CRRT for AKI. (3) Results: Twenty-six patients (13 in each group) were included. We analysed 117 CRRT circuits (80 in the COVID-19 group and 37 in the control group). The adjusted filter lifespan was shorter in the COVID-19 group (17 vs. 39 h, p < 0.001). This trend persisted after adjustment for confounding factors (−14 h, p = 0.037). Before CRRT circuit clotting, the COVID-19 group had a more procoagulant profile despite higher heparin infusion rates. Furthermore, we reported a decreased relation between activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and cumulative heparin dose in COVID-19 patients when compared to historical data of 23,058 patients, suggesting a heparin resistance. (4) Conclusion: COVID-19 patients displayed a shorter CRRT filter lifespan that could be related to a procoagulant profile and heparin resistance.