bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hardness, Young’s Modulus and Elastic Recovery in Magnetron Sputtered Amorphous AlMgB14 Films
Authors: Grishin Alexander M.
Published: September 2020

We report optical and mechanical properties of hard aluminum magnesium boride films magnetron sputtered from a stoichiometric AlMgB14 ceramic target onto Corning® 1737 Glass and Si (100) wafers. High target sputtering rf-power and sufficiently short target-to-substrate distance appeared to be critical processing conditions. Amorphous AlMgB14 films demonstrate very strong indentation size effect (ISE): exceptionally high nanohardness H = 88 GPa and elastic Young’s modulus E* = 517 GPa at 26 nm of the diamond probe penetration depth and almost constant values, respectively, of about 35 GPa and 275 GPa starting at depths of about 2–3% of films’ thickness. For comparative analysis of elastic strain to failure index  H/E*, resistance to plastic deformation ratio H3/E*2 and elastic recovery ratio We were obtained in nanoindentation tests performed in a wide range of loading forces from 0.5 to 40 mN. High authentic numerical values of H = 50 GPa and E* = 340 GPa correlate with as low as only 10% of total energy dissipating through the plastic deformations.
Effect of Transition Metals Oxides on the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Sintered Tungsten Heavy Alloys
Authors: Elsayed Ayman H. , Sayed Mohamed A. , Dawood Osama M. , Daoush Walid M.
Published: September 2020

The addition of transition element oxides to tungsten heavy alloys (WHAs) fabricated by powder metallurgy technique provides new materials with higher density and electrical conductivity, which may be adequate in some applications such as kinetic energy penetrators. Additionally, materials with higher electrical conductivity are required for electrical contact applications such as electrical discharge machining (EDM) electrode materials. WHAs were fabricated by compacting its mixed constituents followed by sintering. Ni, Co and Fe are used as binding phases of the tungsten particles and oxides of Zr, Ti and Y are used as oxide dispersing strengthening (ODS) agents of the sintered materials. The results show that all of the chosen factors (i.e., pressure of compaction process, temperature of sintering, type of binding material and type of oxide) have clear effects on all properties of ODS tungsten heavy alloy specimens. The density and electrical conductivity increase with the increase in sintering temperature. Hardness and compression strength were also measured to evaluate the mechanical properties of sintered samples.
Guided Crystallization of Zeolite Beads Composed of ZSM-12 Nanosponges
Authors: Moukahhal Kassem , Josien Ludovic , Nouali Habiba , Toufaily Joumana , Hamieh Tayssir , Daou T. Jean , Lebeau Bénédicte
Published: September 2020

The direct route using a bifunctional amphiphilic structuring agent for the synthesis of hierarchical nanozeolites coupled with pseudomorphic transformation was used for the crystallization of hierarchized zeolite beads/hollow spheres composed of ZSM-12 (MTW structural-type) with nanosponge morphology. These beads/hollow spheres have the same average diameter of 20 µm as their counterpart amorphous mesoporous silica beads used as precursor in the starting synthesis mixture. The effects of synthesis parameters, such as stirring and treatment time at 140 °C, on the morphology, structure, and texture of the materials have been investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 sorption, scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), and transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) techniques. Static conditions were found necessary to maintain the morphology of the starting amorphous silica beads. An Ostwald ripening phenomenon was observed with the increase in hydrothermal treatment time leading to the dissolution of the interior of some beads to form core shell beads or hollow spheres with larger crystals on the outer surface. These ZSM-12 beads/hollow spheres possess higher porous volume than conventional ZSM-12 zeolite powder and can be used directly for industrial applications.
Prognostic Role and Clinical Significance of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte (TIL) and Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) Expression in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Study
Authors: Lotfinejad Parisa , Asghari Jafarabadi Mohammad , Abdoli Shadbad Mahdi , Kazemi Tohid , Pashazadeh Fariba , Sandoghchian Shotorbani Siamak , Jadidi Niaragh Farhad , Baghbanzadeh Amir , Vahed Nafiseh , Silvestris Nicola , Baradaran Behzad
Published: September 2020

This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), their associations with the clinicopathological characteristics, and the association between their levels in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, ProQuest, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were searched to obtain the relevant papers. Seven studies with 1152 patients were included in this study. Like the level of TILs, there were no significant associations between PD-L1 expression and tumor size, tumor stage, lymph node metastasis, histological grade, and Ki67 (All p-values ≥ 0.05). Furthermore, there was no significant association between PD-L1 expression with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). In assessment of TILs and survival relationship, the results showed that a high level of TILs was associated with long-term OS (hazard ratios (HR) = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.30 to 0.77, p-value < 0.001) and DFS (HR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.35 to 0.78, p-value < 0.001). The results displayed that tumoral PD-L1 expression was strongly associated with high levels of TILs in TNBC patients (OR = 8.34, 95% CI: 2.68 to 25.95, p-value < 0.001). In conclusion, the study has shown the prognostic value of TILs and a strong association between tumoral PD-L1 overexpression with TILs in TNBC patients.
Considering Students’ Abilities in the Academic Advising Process
Authors: Loucif Samia , Gassoumi Laila , Negreiros Joao
Published: September 2020

Academic advising is time-consuming work. At the same time, it needs to be efficient and productive in assisting the students to choose appropriate academic courses towards the completion of their selected programs in a beneficial manner. In addition, both private and public educational institutions are, currently, operating in an extremely competitive market and are, thus, faced with various challenges. Among these are the twin challenges of student retention and the rate of success in completion of their chosen academic courses. The mentioned challenges have a direct bearing on the quality of academic advising and services provided to the students, by the individual academic institution. A number of research studies have been carried out suggesting various online academic advising systems for undergraduate and graduate programs. In this context, we develop and present, here, an academic advising system which differs from and improves upon previously suggested methodologies with the inclusion of the facility to track individual students’ performance and, thus, ability in educational subjects and programs, taken in the previous academic terms. Our suggested methodology is based on the use of this facility to guide students in the selection of courses that they may register for the forthcoming academic term. We believe that the consideration of individual students’ past academic preformation, in our suggested methodology, is a significant improvement and will assist students in making more beneficial choices when registering for academic courses.
Sliding Mode Control for Micro Turbojet Engine Using Turbofan Power Ratio as Control Law
Authors: Derbel Khaoula , Beneda Károly
Published: September 2020

The interest in turbojet engines was emerging in the past years due to their simplicity. The purpose of this article is to investigate sliding mode control (SMC) for a micro turbojet engine based on an unconventional compound thermodynamic parameter called Turbofan Power Ratio (TPR) and prove its advantage over traditional linear methods and thrust parameters. Based on previous research by the authors, TPR can be applied to single stream turbojet engines as it varies proportionally to thrust, thus it is suitable as control law. The turbojet is modeled by a linear, parameter-varying structure, and variable structure sliding mode control has been selected to control the system, as it offers excellent disturbance rejection and provides robustness against discrepancies between mathematical model and real plant as well. Both model and control system have been created in MATLAB® Simulink®, data from real measurement have been taken to evaluate control system performance. The same assessment is conducted with conventional Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controllers and showed the superiority of SMC, furthermore TPR computation using turbine discharge temperature was proven. Based on the results of the simulation, a controller layout is proposed and its feasibility is investigated. The utilization of TPR results in more accurate thrust output, meanwhile it allows better insight into the thermodynamic process of the engine, hence it carries an additional diagnostic possibility.
Model Reference Adaptive System with Finite-Set for Encoderless Control of PMSGs in Micro-Grid Systems
Authors: Abdelrahem Mohamed , Hackl Christoph M. , Rodríguez José , Kennel Ralph
Published: September 2020

In micro-grid systems, wind turbines are essential power generation sources. The direct-driven surface-mounted permanent-magnet synchronous generators (SMPMSGs) in variable-speed wind generation systems (VS-WGSs) are promising due to their high efficiency/power density and the avoidance of using a gearbox, i.e., regular maintenance and noise are averted. Usually, the main goal of the control system for SMPMSGs is to extract the maximum available power from the wind turbine. To do so, the rotor position/speed of the SMPMSG must be known. Those signals are obtained by the help of an incremental encoder or speed transducer. However, the system reliability is remarkably reduced due to the high failure rate of these mechanical sensors. To avoid this problem, this paper presents a model reference adaptive system with finite-set (MRAS-FS) observer for encoderless control of SMPMSGs in VS-WGSs. The motif of the presented MRAS-FS observer is taken from the direct-model predictive control (DMPC) principle, where a certain number of rotor position angles are utilized to estimate the stator flux of the SMPMSG. Subsequently, a new optimization criterion (also called quality or cost function) is formulated to select the best rotor position angle based on minimizing the error between the estimated and reference value of the stator flux. Accordingly, the traditional fixed-gain proportional-integral regulator generally employed in the classical MRAS observers is not needed. The proposed MRAS-FS observer is validated experimentally, and its estimation response has been compared with the conventional MRAS observer under different conditions. In addition to that, the robustness of the MRAS-FS observer is tested at mismatches in the parameters of the SMPMSG.
Pyrolysis Conversion of Polymer Wastes to Noble Fuels in Conditions of the Slovak Republic
Authors: Holubčík Michal , Klačková Ivana , Ďurčanský Peter
Published: September 2020

This paper deals with the pyrolysis conversion of synthetic waste materials into noble fuels, i.e., heating oils, gasoline, diesel, and carbon. The following article presents the principle and use of pyrolysis conversion of waste tires and plastics. The core of the paper is the determination of energy properties of noble fuels obtained from pyrolysis conversion and the possibility of their real use in industry. The aim of this paper is a technical-economic evaluation of the use of waste pyrolysis in practice in the Slovak Republic. Unlike various methods of waste management, there are also more efficient methods, which primarily have a positive effect on the ecology of our Earth and at the same time can be effectively used for the production of alternative fuels. One of these methods is the pyrolysis conversion of synthetic waste materials into noble fuels. It is an ecological, waste-free, economical, and economical disposal of waste with a full recovery of its energy and material components with reduced emissions, and therefore this direction of using synthetic waste for the conversion of alternative fuels contributes to sustainable development. A significant advantage of this waste management is considered to be the fact that only waste tires or chlorine-free plastics are used as input materials without other necessary raw materials obtained by other economic activity. Tires and plastics are generated daily as waste in every household.
Capacity and Impedance Estimation by Analysing and Modeling in Real Time Incremental Capacity Curves
Authors: Oyarbide Mikel , Arrinda Mikel , Sánchez Denis , Macicior Haritz , McGahan Paul , Hoedemaekers Erik , Cendoya Iosu
Published: September 2020

The estimation of lithium ion capacity fade and impedance rise on real application is always a challenging work due to the associated complexity. This work envisages the study of the battery charging profile indicators (CPI) to estimate battery health indicators (capacity and resistance, BHI), for high energy density lithium-ion batteries. Different incremental capacity (IC) parameters of the charging profile will be studied and compared to the battery capacity and resistance, in order to identify the data with the best correlation. In this sense, the constant voltage (CV) step duration, the magnitudes of the IC curve peaks, and the position of these peaks will be studied. Additionally, the behaviour of the IC curve will be modeled to determine if there is any correlation between the IC model parameters and the capacity and resistance. Results show that the developed IC parameter calculation and the correlation strategy are able to evaluate the SOH with less than 1% mean error for capacity and resistance estimation. The algorithm has been implemented on a real battery module and validated on a real platform, emulating heavy duty application conditions. In this preliminary validation, 1% and 3% error has been quantified for capacity and resistance estimation.
Development and Performance Evaluation of Solid-Free Drilling Fluid for CBM Reservoir Drilling in Central Hunan
Authors: Sun Pinghe , Han Meng , Cao Han , Liu Weisheng , Zhang Shaohe , Zhu Junyi
Published: September 2020

Solid-free drilling fluid is a matter of cardinal significance in the course of Coal bed Methane (CBM) reservoir drilling. This study evaluated the performance of solid-free CBM drilling fluid in central Hunan. Three types of surfactants, namely TX-10 (nonionic), HSB1618 (zwitterionic) and penetrant T (anionic), were added in basic fluid at various concentrations of 0.05, 0.10 and 0.15% (m/m). This study comprised of drilling fluid rheology, sample mineral analysis, sample nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) scanning, sample wettability, and sample surface micro characteristics tests. The results show that TX-10 and HSB1618 enhance the rheological properties of drilling fluid, such as yield point and gel strength. Penetrant T has opposite effect on it. It was found that the minimum American Petroleum Institute (API) filtration is only 0.3 mL. This study adopted a new method using laser particle size analyzer to evaluate suspension performance. Based on the surface micro characteristics of the sample and the NMR scanning tests, it is found that the residual amount of basic fluid + HSB1618 in the sample is the smallest. The wettability modification curve indicates that three surfactants decrease the sample’s hydrophobicity. With the increase of surfactant concentration, all above parameters change regularly. The basic fluid + 0.10% HSB1618 has the strongest hydrophobicity for sample at pH = 10. This study obtained a set of solid-free drilling fluid system, which provides better suspension capacity and large contact angle and reduces residue of drilling fluid in CBM reservoir. Ultimately, it can accelerate the desorption of coal gas and reduce damage to the reservoir.
Microwave Heating Improvement: Permittivity Characterization of Water–Ethanol and Water–NaCl Binary Mixtures
Authors: Fanari Fabio , Muntoni Giacomo , Dachena Chiara , Carta Renzo , Desogus Francesco
Published: September 2020

Microwave heating offers a lot of advantages compared to conventional heating methods in the chemical reactions field due to its positive effects on reaction time and selectivity. Dielectric properties, and in particular permittivity, of substances and mixtures, are important for the optimization of microwave heating processes; notwithstanding this, specific databases are poor and far from being complete, and in the scientific literature very little data regarding these properties can be found. In this work, impedance measurements were carried out using a specially designed system to get the real and imaginary parts of the dielectric constant. The apparatus was tested in the estimation of permittivity of water–ethanol and water–NaCl mixtures, varying their composition to obtain a wide range of permittivity values. The results were compared to literature data and fitted with available literature models to verify the correspondence between them, finding that permittivity dependence on mixture composition can be effectively described by the models.
Machine Learning-Based Probabilistic Lithofacies Prediction from Conventional Well Logs: A Case from the Umiat Oil Field of Alaska
Authors: Dixit Nilesh , McColgan Paul , Kusler Kimberly
Published: September 2020

A good understanding of different rock types and their distribution is critical to locate oil and gas accumulations in the subsurface. Traditionally, rock core samples are used to directly determine the exact rock facies and what geological environments might be present. Core samples are often expensive to recover and, therefore, not always available for each well. Wireline logs provide a cheaper alternative to core samples, but they do not distinguish between various rock facies alone. This problem can be overcome by integrating limited core data with largely available wireline log data with machine learning. Here, we presented an application of machine learning in rock facies predictions based on limited core data from the Umiat Oil Field of Alaska. First, we identified five sandstone reservoir facies within the Lower Grandstand Member using core samples and mineralogical data available for the Umiat 18 well. Next, we applied machine learning algorithms (ascendant hierarchical clustering, self-organizing maps, artificial neural network, and multi-resolution graph-based clustering) to available wireline log data to build our models trained with core-driven information. We found that self-organizing maps provided the best result among other techniques for facies predictions. We used the best self-organizing maps scheme for predicting similar reservoir facies in nearby uncored wells—Umiat 23H and SeaBee-1. We validated our facies prediction results for these wells with observed seismic data.
Improving Human Activity Monitoring by Imputation of Missing Sensory Data: Experimental Study
Authors: Pires Ivan Miguel , Hussain Faisal , Garcia Nuno M. , Zdravevski Eftim
Published: September 2020

The automatic recognition of human activities with sensors available in off-the-shelf mobile devices has been the subject of different research studies in recent years. It may be useful for the monitoring of elderly people to present warning situations, monitoring the activity of sports people, and other possibilities. However, the acquisition of the data from different sensors may fail for different reasons, and the human activities are recognized with better accuracy if the different datasets are fulfilled. This paper focused on two stages of a system for the recognition of human activities: data imputation and data classification. Regarding the data imputation, a methodology for extrapolating the missing samples of a dataset to better recognize the human activities was proposed. The K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) imputation technique was used to extrapolate the missing samples in dataset captures. Regarding the data classification, the accuracy of the previously implemented method, i.e., Deep Neural Networks (DNN) with normalized and non-normalized data, was improved in relation to the previous results without data imputation.
The Effect of Mixing Milk of Different Species on Chemical, Physicochemical, and Sensory Features of Cheeses: A Review
Authors: Boukria Oumayma , El Hadrami El Mestafa , Boudalia Sofiane , Safarov Jasur , Leriche Françoise , Aït-Kaddour Abderrahmane
Published: September 2020

The yield and quality of cheese are associated with the composition, physicochemical, sensory, rheological, and microbiological properties of milk and with the technology applied to the milk before and/or during cheese processing. This review describes the most important research on cheeses obtained from processing mixtures of different milk species and discusses the effect of milk mixtures (i.e., species and mixture ratios) on composition, physicochemical, sensory, rheological, and microbiological properties of cheeses. More specifically, the present review paper will gather and focus only on studies that have provided a clear comparison between cheeses produced from a mixture of two milk species to cheeses produced from only one species.
The Study of the Expression of CGB1 and CGB2 in Human Cancer Tissues
Authors: Białas Piotr , Śliwa Aleksandra , Szczerba Anna , Jankowska Anna
Published: September 2020

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a well-known hormone produced by the trophoblast during pregnancy as well as by both trophoblastic and non-trophoblastic tumors. hCG is built from two subunits: α (hCGα) and β (hCGβ). The hormone-specific β subunit is encoded by six allelic genes: CGB3, CGB5, CGB6, CGB7, CGB8, and CGB9, mapped to the 19q13.32 locus. This gene cluster also encompasses the CGB1 and CGB2 genes, which were originally considered to be pseudogenes, but as documented by several studies are transcriptionally active. Even though the protein products of these genes have not yet been identified, based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database analysis we showed that the mutual presence of CGB1 and CGB2 transcripts is a characteristic feature of cancers of different origin, including bladder urothelial carcinoma, cervical squamous cell carcinoma, esophageal carcinoma, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma, lung squamous cell carcinoma, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, rectum adenocacinoma, testis germ cell tumors, thymoma, uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma and uterine carcinosarcoma.
Aneuploidy and DNA Methylation as Mirrored Features of Early Human Embryo Development
Authors: Tolmacheva Ekaterina N. , Vasilyev Stanislav A. , Lebedev Igor N.
Published: September 2020

Genome stability is an integral feature of all living organisms. Aneuploidy is the most common cause of fetal death in humans. The timing of bursts in increased aneuploidy frequency coincides with the waves of global epigenetic reprogramming in mammals. During gametogenesis and early embryogenesis, parental genomes undergo two waves of DNA methylation reprogramming. Failure of these processes can critically affect genome stability, including chromosome segregation during cell division. Abnormal methylation due to errors in the reprogramming process can potentially lead to aneuploidy. On the other hand, the presence of an entire additional chromosome, or chromosome loss, can affect the global genome methylation level. The associations of these two phenomena are well studied in the context of carcinogenesis, but here, we consider the relationship of DNA methylation and aneuploidy in early human and mammalian ontogenesis. In this review, we link these two phenomena and highlight the critical ontogenesis periods and genome regions that play a significant role in human reproduction and in the formation of pathological phenotypes in newborns with chromosomal aneuploidy.
Toward a High-Definition Remote Sensing Approach to the Study of Deserted Medieval Cities in the Near East
Authors: Starková Lenka
Published: September 2020

The variability of currently available remote sensing datasets raises the question of which specific processing methods should be used for feature detection and feature extraction in both large and small-scale overhead images. In some cases, particular analyses allow us to carry out feature detection much more easily and effectively. The high-definition approach enables enhanced analysis of remote sensing data using all the spectral and graphical potential of multi-temporal ordered components. The deserted urban site of Kona Makhmūr, Iraqi Kurdistan, is taken as a case study to demonstrate this fine-grained approach. The analysis described in this paper is based on the complementary use of a variety of overlayed imagery, augmented by data from terrestrial surveys. The resulting map substantially enhances our knowledge of the built environment and the economic and environmental conditions of this early Islamic-period site. Spectral analysis of raster images allowed us to detect the real shapes of features, and with the addition of digital elevation model (DEM) (created via unmanned aerial system (UAV)) we were also able to interpret the state of preservation of the overground relics and the diachronic dynamics of their degradation.
A Pilot Evaluation of a Smartphone Application for Workplace Depression
Authors: Collins Daniel A.J. , Harvey Samuel B. , Lavender Isobel , Glozier Nicholas , Christensen Helen , Deady Mark
Published: September 2020

Interventions delivered via mobile apps show particular promise in tackling the burden of common mental disorders. Appropriately targeting these interventions to at-risk populations is critical to their success. This pilot study aimed to assess the usability, feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of an app-based intervention designed to target depressive symptoms in a stressed working population. Anchored, a smartphone app including a 30-day program of mindfulness and cognitive and behavioural therapeutic components, was tested in a pre-post pilot study with participants recruited via social media advertisements. Eligible participants (N = 81) were Australian adults who were employed and reported elevated stress levels on a single-item screening measure. Follow-up assessment occurred 5 weeks after baseline. The primary outcome measure was change in depressive symptoms, with secondary outcomes measuring change in anxiety, wellbeing, stress, resilience, exercise, alcohol use, absenteeism, and work performance. User feedback and in-app data were analysed to assess engagement and intervention adherence. At follow-up, there were significant reductions in depressive symptoms (t61 = 6.35; p < 0.001) and anxiety symptoms (t60 = 7.35; p < 0.001), along with significantly reduced cases of likely new onset depression compared to baseline (24% vs. 6%, p = 0.012). Significant improvements were also seen in wellbeing (t60 = −5.64; p < 0.001), resilience (t60 = −3.89; p < 0.001), stress (t61 = 11.18; p < 0.001), and alcohol use (t60 = 3.40; p = 0.001). Participants reported no significant changes in work performance, absenteeism or exercise. There were satisfactory levels of app usability, feasibility, and acceptability. Most participants found the app easy to use (93.2%), understood the app content well (83.0%), and rated the app highly or very highly overall (72.9%). User feedback suggestions were predominantly focused on improving app navigation and user interface. This pilot study provides encouraging evidence that Anchored has potentially beneficial effects, and is usable, feasible, and acceptable as an app-based intervention for the working population experiencing elevated stress. Further testing of Anchored in a randomised controlled trial is required to investigate its efficacy as an intervention for workplace mental ill-health.
Impacts of COVID-19 on Electronic Cigarette Purchasing, Use and Related Behaviors
Authors: Soule Eric K. , Mayne Shannon , Snipes William , Guy Mignonne C. , Breland Alison , Fagan Pebbles
Published: September 2020

Background: COVID-19 has caused health impacts and disruptions globally. Electronic cigarette (ECIG) users may face additional impacts. This study examined impacts of COVID-19 on ECIG users. Methods: Concept mapping, a mixed-methods approach, was used to identify COVID-19 impacts on adult ECIG users. ECIG users (n = 93) provided statements completing a prompt: “A specific way Coronavirus/COVID-19 has affected my vaping/e-cigarette use, my vaping/e-cigarette related purchasing, or other vaping/e-cigarette related behaviors or issues is…”. Participants generated 85 unique statements, sorted statements into groups of similar content and rated each statement on how true they were. Multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis identified thematic clusters. Mean cluster ratings were compared between sample subgroups. Results: Ten clusters were identified: Stocking up and Bulk Purchasing, Challenges in Obtaining ECIG Supplies, Alternative Purchasing Procedures, Increased ECIG use, Disruption of Routine and ECIG Use, Efforts to Decrease ECIG Use, Improving ECIG Skills, COVID-19 Health Concerns, Perceptions of ECIG Use and COVID-19, and COVID-19 Protection. More dependent ECIG users and dual users of ECIGs and cigarettes rated clusters higher than less dependent ECIG users and non-dual users. Conclusions: ECIG users may experience or perceive they face additional COVID-19 impacts, such as increased exposure, financial burdens, stress, and health risks.
Is Fear of Harm (FoH) in Sports-Related Activities a Latent Trait? The Item Response Model Applied to the Photographic Series of Sports Activities for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Rupture (PHOSA-ACLR)
Authors: Lankveld Wim van , Pat-El Ron J. , Melick Nicky van , Cingel Robert van , Staal J. Bart
Published: September 2020

Background: Fear of Harm (FoH) predicts return to sports in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction (ACLR) and can be assessed using the Photographic Sports Activities for ACLR (PHOSA-ACLR). This study was conducted to determine whether FoH assessed using the PHOSA-ACLR is a latent trait, and to analyze differences in PHOSA-ACLR in athletes with or without an ACL rupture. Methods: Three convenience samples completed the PHOSA-ACLR: (1) ACLR patients (n = 58; mean age 25.9 years; range 17–56; SD = 8.2; 43% male); (2) first year Physical Therapy (PT) students (n = 169; mean age = 19.2; SD = 2.0; 48% male), and (3) junior football players (n = 30; mean age = 18.3; range 17–20; SD = 3.2; 94% males). ACLR patients additionally reported functioning and Fear of Movement. PHOSA-ACLR items were analyzed with Item Response Theory using the Graded Response Model (GRM). Differences between three groups of participants were analyzed using Univariate Analysis of Variance. Results: Data fitted the two-parameter GRM, and therefore the items of the PHOSA-ACLR constitute a latent trait. There was a significant difference between the three groups in PHOSA-ACLR after controlling for age and gender (F (2, 255) = 17.1, p < 0.001). PT students reported higher levels of FoH compared to either ACLR patients or healthy soccer players. Conclusions: PHOSA-ACLR items constitute a latent trait of FoH for ACLR-specific movements. Contrary to expectations, PHOSA-ACLR is higher in first year physiotherapy students compared to patients rehabilitating from ACLR, and healthy junior soccer players.
Tuberculosis Infection Screening in 5468 Italian Healthcare Students: Investigation of a Borderline Zone Value for the QFT-Test
Authors: Corvino Anna Rita , Monaco Maria Grazia Lourdes , Garzillo Elpidio Maria , Grimaldi Elena , Donnarumma Giovanna , Miraglia Nadia , Di Giuseppe Gabriella , Lamberti Monica
Published: September 2020

Healthcare workers are at an increased risk of contracting Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Tuberculin skin test (TST) and interferon gamma release assay (IGRA) represent the available tests most used for the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Different borderline zones have been proposed for defining conversions and reversions to improve the interpretation of the IGRA test results as part of serial testing. From 2012 to 2017, 5468 health students of an Italian University Hospital were screened for tuberculosis infection through the execution of the TST and, in case of positivity, of the QuantiFERON-TB® Gold In-Tube assay (QFT–GIT). The QFT–GIT is considered “borderline” with values from 0.35 to 0.99 IU/mL. Among the students who performed the QFT–GIT assay, 27 subjects presented a range of values defined as borderline. The QFT–GIT was repeated after 90 days on 19 subjects with borderline values and showed a negativization of the values in 14 students and a positive conversion in three cases, while for two students, a borderline value was also found for the second test, with a 74% regression of the borderline cases. The introduction of QuantiFERON borderline values is a useful assessment tool to bring out LTBI case candidates for chemoprophylaxis.
Risk of Glaucoma in Patients Receiving Hemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study
Authors: Lim Chen-Chee , Lee Chia-Yi , Huang Fu-Chin , Huang Jing-Yang , Hung Jia-Horung , Yang Shun-Fa
Published: September 2020

This paper investigated the incidence and risk of newly diagnosed glaucoma after the initiation of maintenance dialysis in Taiwan. A case–control study was conducted using the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) in Taiwan. There were 3949 patients with dialysis in the study group and 78,980 non-dialysis subjects matched by age and sex in the comparison group. The incidence of newly diagnosed glaucoma after the initiation of maintenance dialysis was analyzed based on the diagnostic code for glaucoma. Patients with dialysis had a higher risk of glaucoma (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR): 1.270; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.035–1.560) than patients without dialysis. The incidence rate of glaucoma was 8.18 per 10,000 person months in the dialysis group, which was higher than that in the non-dialysis group (5.01 per 10,000 person months). Patients with dialysis exhibited a significantly higher risk of angle-closure glaucoma (ACG) (aHR: 1.550; 95% CI: 1.074–2.239). In contrast, there was no significant risk of developing open-angle glaucoma or normal-tension glaucoma in dialysis patients. Our data suggest that dialysis patients are more susceptible to ACG. Regular ophthalmic examinations may be useful in patients with dialysis to identify high-risk individuals with glaucoma, and preventive measures can be applied to avoid permanent vision loss as soon as intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation is identified.
Do Changes in the Local Food Environment Within New Residential Developments Influence the Diets of Residents? Longitudinal Results from RESIDE
Authors: Bivoltsis Alexia , Trapp Gina , Knuiman Matthew , Hooper Paula , Ambrosini Gina
Published: September 2020

Background: There is limited longitudinal evidence supporting a link between food outlet locations and dietary outcomes to inform policy and urban planning. This study examined how longitudinal changes in the local food environment within new residential developments influenced changes in adult dietary intake. Methods: Adult participant data (n = 3223 person-observations) were sourced from the RESIDential Environments (RESIDE) project across three time points between 2004 to 2012 in Perth, Western Australia. Fixed effects regression estimated the relationship between change in spatial exposure to the local food environment, individual behaviours and perceptions of the local food environment with dietary outcome variables (healthy diet score, unhealthy diet score, diet quality score and fruit/vegetable intake). Results: An increase over time in the percentage of healthy food outlets around the home was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) associated with an increase in healthy diet scores and an increase in the distance from home to the nearest café restaurant was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) associated with an increase in diet quality scores. Conclusions: Modifying the local food environment by increasing the relative proportion of healthy food outlets around the home may support healthier dietary intake.
The Role of Extracellular Proteases in Tumor Progression and the Development of Innovative Metal Ion Chelators That Inhibit Their Activity
Authors: Park Kyung Chan , Dharmasivam Mahendiran , Richardson Des R.
Published: September 2020

The role of extracellular proteases in cancer progression is well-known, especially in relation to the promotion of cell invasion through extracellular matrix remodeling. This also occurs by the ability of extracellular proteases to induce the shedding of transmembrane proteins at the plasma membrane surface or within extracellular vesicles. This process results in the regulation of key signaling pathways by the modulation of kinases, e.g., the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Considering their regulatory roles in cancer, therapeutics targeting various extracellular proteases have been discovered. These include the metal-binding agents di-2-pyridylketone 4,4-dimethyl-3-thiosemicarbazone (Dp44mT) and di-2-pyridylketone-4-cyclohexyl-4-methyl-3-thiosemicarbazone (DpC), which increase c-MET degradation by multiple mechanisms. Both the direct and indirect inhibition of protease expression and activity can be achieved through metal ion depletion. Considering direct mechanisms, chelators can bind zinc(II) that plays a catalytic role in enzyme activity. In terms of indirect mechanisms, Dp44mT and DpC potently suppress the expression of the kallikrein-related peptidase—a prostate-specific antigen—in prostate cancer cells. The mechanism of this activity involves promotion of the degradation of the androgen receptor. Additional suppressive mechanisms of Dp44mT and DpC on matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) relate to their ability to up-regulate the metastasis suppressors N-myc downstream regulated gene-1 (NDRG1) and NDRG2, which down-regulate MMPs that are crucial for cancer cell invasion.
The Population Growth of Spodoptera frugiperda on Six Cash Crop Species and Implications for Its Occurrence and Damage Potential in China
Authors: Wang Wenwen , He Pengyang , Zhang Yiyang , Liu Tongxian , Jing Xiangfeng , Zhang Shize
Published: September 2020

Spodoptera frugiperda is a significant migratory invasive pest, identified as a serious threat to agricultural production and food security in China. However, to our knowledge, the effects of most host plants on the biological characteristics of S. frugiperda have not been well studied. To develop effective management strategies for S. frugiperda in its new invasive habitat, basic biological and ecological knowledge of this pest are crucial requirements. Here, we examined the effects of six cash crops maize, wheat, soybean, tomato, cotton and Chinese cabbage on the development, survival, fecundity of S. frugiperda by using the age-stage, two-sex life table. The preadult stage, adult preoviposition period and total preoviposition period of S. frugiperda were shortest on maize and wheat but were longest on tomato. Fecundity was greatest on maize and wheat but smallest on tomato. The highest intrinsic rate of increase, finite rate of increase, net reproductive rate and the shortest mean generation time were recorded on maize. This present study showed that S. frugiperda could cause great economic losses to these cash crops, which should attract the attention of agricultural management departments. Our findings provide useful information in predicting population dynamics and understanding the potential damage that could be incurred by S. frugiperda invasion.
Clinicopathological Features and Prognostic Factors of Primary Acral Melanomas in Caucasians
Authors: Borkowska Aneta M. , Szumera-Ciećkiewicz Anna , Spałek Mateusz J. , Teterycz Paweł , Czarnecka Anna M. , Rutkowski Piotr Ł.
Published: September 2020

Background: Cutaneous melanomas located on the acral part of extremities (hand and foot melanoma; HFM) comprise a rare group within all melanomas in Caucasians. HFM is associated with a poor prognosis. We aimed to evaluate clinicopathological features, long-term outcomes, and prognostic factors in primary HFM in Caucasians. Methods: Medical records of all consecutive patients treated between 1997 and 2014 were revised. Patients were diagnosed with primary cutaneous melanoma at I-II clinical stage, and sentinel lymph node biopsy was conducted. The analysis was performed to define the clinicopathological factors influencing outcomes in the HFM and subungual cohort. Among 2537 consecutive patients diagnosed with primary cutaneous melanoma, 247 cases of HFM (9.7%) were found, with a median follow-up time of 7.8 years. Results: Median primary tumor Breslow thickness in subungual melanomas and HFMs was 4.0 mm and 3.3 mm, respectively, significantly higher than in the entire population (median 2.2 mm; p < 0.01). In the HFM group, 37.6% of tumors were ulcerated. Metastases to sentinel lymph node (SLN) were found in 28.3% of HFMs. The 10-year overall survival rate in the HFM group and subungual melanomas was 48.1% and 49.3%, respectively, compared to 63.0% in non-HFM melanomas. Conclusions: Our results confirm that patients with HFMs display worse overall survival compared to the entire melanoma population, with male gender and positive SLN biopsy status acting as independent negative prognostic factors.
Complex Immunometabolic Profiling Reveals the Activation of Cellular Immunity and Biliary Lesions in Patients with Severe COVID-19
Authors: Klocperk Adam , Bloomfield Marketa , Parackova Zuzana , Zentsova Irena , Vrabcova Petra , Balko Jan , Meseznikov Grigorij , Casas Mendez Luis Fernando , Grandcourtova Alzbeta , Sipek Jan , Tulach Martin , Zamecnik Josef , Vymazal Tomas , Sediva Anna
Published: September 2020

This study aimed to assess the key laboratory features displayed by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) inpatients that are associated with mild, moderate, severe, and fatal courses of the disease, and through a longitudinal follow-up, to understand the dynamics of the COVID-19 pathophysiology. All severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-positive patients admitted to the University Hospital in Motol between March and June 2020 were included in this study. A severe course of COVID-19 was associated with an elevation of proinflammatory markers; an efflux of immature granulocytes into peripheral blood; the activation of CD8 T cells, which infiltrated the lungs; transient liver disease. In particular, the elevation of serum gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and histological signs of cholestasis were highly specific for patients with a severe form of the disease. In contrast, patients with a fatal course of COVID-19 failed to upregulate markers of inflammation, showed discoordination of the immune response, and progressed toward acute kidney failure. COVID-19 is a disease with a multi-organ affinity that is characterized by the activation of innate and cellular adaptive immunity. Biliary lesions with an elevation of GGT and the organ infiltration of interleukin 6 (IL-6)-producing cells are the defining characteristics for patients with the fulminant disease.
Adhesion of Multifunctional Substrates for Integrated Cure Monitoring Film Sensors to Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers
Authors: Kyriazis Alexander , Asali Kais , Sinapius Michael , Rager Korbinian , Dietzel Andreas
Published: September 2020

During fiber composite production, the quality of the manufactured parts can be assured by measuring the progress of the curing reaction. Dielectric film sensors are particularly suitable for this measurement task, as they can quantify the degree of curing very specifically and locally. These sensors are usually manufactured on PI films, which can lead to delaminations after integration. Other authors report that this negative influence can be reduced by miniaturization and a suitable shaping of the sensors. This article pursues as an alternative, a novel approach to achieve a material closure instead of a geometrically generated form closure by choosing suitable thermoplastic materials. Thermoplastic films made of PEI, PES and PA6 are proposed as carrier substrates for thin film sensors. They are investigated with regard to their mechanical effects in FRP. The experiments show that the integration of PES and PEI in FRP has the best shear strength, but PA6 leads to a higher critical energy release rate during crack propagation in mode I. For PI, a locally strongly scattering critical energy release rate was observed. Neither in tensile nor in Compression After Impact (CAI) tests a significant influence of the films on these characteristic values could be proven.
Biocompatibility of α-Al2O3 Ceramic Substrates with Human Neural Precursor Cells
Authors: Asimakopoulou Akrivi , Gkekas Ioannis , Kastrinaki Georgia , Prigione Alessandro , Zaspalis Vasileios T. , Petrakis Spyros
Published: September 2020

Background: Biocompatible materials-topography could be used for the construction of scaffolds allowing the three-dimensional (3D) organization of human stem cells into functional tissue-like structures with a defined architecture. Methods: Structural characterization of an alumina-based substrate was performed through XRD, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and wettability measurements. Biocompatibility of the substrate was assessed by measuring the proliferation and differentiation of human neural precursor stem cells (NPCs). Results: α-Al2O3 is a ceramic material with crystallite size of 40 nm; its surface consists of aggregates in the range of 8–22 μm which forms a rough surface in the microscale with 1–8 μm cavities. The non-calcined material has a surface area of 5.5 m2/gr and pore size distribution of 20 nm, which is eliminated in the calcined structure. Thus, the pore network on the surface and the body of the ceramic becomes more water proof, as indicated by wettability measurements. The alumina-based substrate supported the proliferation of human NPCs and their differentiation into functional neurons. Conclusions: Our work indicates the potential use of alumina for the construction of 3D engineered biosystems utilizing human neurons. Such systems may be useful for diagnostic purposes, drug testing, or biotechnological applications.