bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New Animal Models for Understanding FMRP Functions and FXS Pathology
Authors: Curnow Eliza , Wang Yuan
Published: May 2022

Fragile X encompasses a range of genetic conditions, all of which result as a function of changes within the FMR1 gene and abnormal production and/or expression of the FMR1 gene products. Individuals with Fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most common heritable form of intellectual disability, have a full-mutation sequence (>200 CGG repeats) which brings about transcriptional silencing of FMR1 and loss of FMR protein (FMRP). Despite considerable progress in our understanding of FXS, safe, effective, and reliable treatments that either prevent or reduce the severity of the FXS phenotype have not been approved. While current FXS animal models contribute their own unique understanding to the molecular, cellular, physiological, and behavioral deficits associated with FXS, no single animal model is able to fully recreate the FXS phenotype. This review will describe the status and rationale in the development, validation, and utility of three emerging animal model systems for FXS, namely the nonhuman primate (NHP), Mongolian gerbil, and chicken. These developing animal models will provide a sophisticated resource in which the deficits in complex functions of perception, action, and cognition in the human disorder are accurately reflected and aid in the successful translation of novel therapeutics and interventions to the clinic setting.
The Complex Interaction between P53 and miRNAs Joins New Awareness in Physiological Stress Responses
Authors: Capaccia Camilla , Diverio Silvana , Zampini Danilo , Guelfi Gabriella
Published: May 2022

This review emphasizes the important role of cross-talk between P53 and microRNAs in physiological stress signaling. P53 responds to stress in a variety of ways ranging from activating survival-promotion pathways to triggering programmed cell death to eliminate damaged cells. In physiological stress generated by any external or internal condition that challenges cell homeostasis, P53 exerts its function as a transcription factor for target genes or by regulating the expression and maturation of a class of small non-coding RNA molecules (miRNAs). The miRNAs control the level of P53 through direct control of P53 or through indirect control of P53 by targeting its regulators (such as MDMs). In turn, P53 controls the expression level of miRNAs targeted by P53 through the regulation of their transcription or biogenesis. This elaborate regulatory scheme emphasizes the relevance of miRNAs in the P53 network and vice versa.
Experimental Investigation and Computational Fluid Dynamic Simulation of Hydrodynamics of Liquid–Solid Fluidized Beds
Authors: Abdulrahman Amer A. , Mahdy Omar S. , Sabri Laith S. , Sultan Abbas J. , Al-Naseri Hayder , Hasan Zahraa W. , Majdi Hasan Shakir , Ali Jamal M.
Published: May 2022

The present study provides and examines an experimental and CFD simulation to predict and accurately quantify the individual phase holdup. The experimental findings demonstrated that the increase of solid beads has a significant influence on the (Umf), as comparatively small glass beads particles require a low (Umf) value, which tends to increase as the diameter of the beads increases. Besides that, the expansion ratio is proportional to the velocity of the liquid. Even though, the relationship becomes inversely proportional to the diameter of the beads. The liquid holdup was found to increase with increasing liquid velocity, however, the solid holdup decreased. The Eulerian–Eulerian granular multiphase flow technique was used to predict the overall performance of the liquid–solid fluidized beds (LSFBs). There was a good agreement between the experimental results and the dynamic properties of liquid–solid flows obtained from the CFD simulation, which will facilitate future simulation studies of liquid–solid fluidized beds. This work has further improved the understanding and knowledge of CFD simulation of such a system at different parameters. Furthermore, understanding the hydrodynamics features within the two-phase fluidization bed, as well as knowing the specific features, is essential for good system design, enabling the systems to perform more effectively.
Strengthening of Reinforced Concrete Structures with Carbon Reinforced Concrete—Possibilities and Challenges
Authors: Wagner Juliane , Würgau Carolin , Schumann Alexander , Schütze Elisabeth , Ehlig Daniel , Nietner Lutz , Curbach Manfred
Published: May 2022

The strengthening of existing reinforced concrete structures (RC) with carbon reinforced concrete (CRC) has a high potential to save resources and to increase the lifespan of the whole strengthened structure immensely. However, when strengthening structures with CRC, in some cases, failure due to concrete cover separation is detected, leading to the fact that the potential of the carbon reinforcement cannot be exploited. The prediction and prevention of this type of failure is the subject of current research. In this paper, a strut-and-tie-model is presented for calculating a critical tensile force leading to failure due to concrete cover separation. Additionally, possible methods to avoid that kind of failure are suggested. One of these is doweling the ends of the strengthening layer. This paper presents the first experiments to test this method, which show that doweling the strengthening layer leads to much higher failure loads compared to a structure without doweling. However, further investigations have to be examined to verify these first results.
Regression Machine Learning Models Used to Predict DFT-Computed NMR Parameters of Zeolites
Authors: Gaumard Robin , Dragún Dominik , Pedroza-Montero Jesús N. , Alonso Bruno , Guesmi Hazar , Malkin Ondík Irina , Mineva Tzonka
Published: May 2022

Machine learning approaches can drastically decrease the computational time for the predictions of spectroscopic properties in materials, while preserving the quality of the computational approaches. We studied the performance of kernel-ridge regression (KRR) and gradient boosting regressor (GBR) models trained on the isotropic shielding values, computed with density-functional theory (DFT), in a series of different known zeolites containing out-of-frame metal cations or fluorine anion and organic structure-directing cations. The smooth overlap of atomic position descriptors were computed from the DFT-optimised Cartesian coordinates of each atoms in the zeolite crystal cells. The use of these descriptors as inputs in both machine learning regression methods led to the prediction of the DFT isotropic shielding values with mean errors within 0.6 ppm. The results showed that the GBR model scales better than the KRR model.
Detection of the Lateral Thermal Spread during Bipolar Vessel Sealing in an Ex Vivo Model—Preliminary Results
Authors: Kirschbaum Andreas , Jonas Jan , Surowiec Thomas M. , Pehl Anika , Mirow Nikolas
Published: May 2022

Background: As an unwanted side effect, lateral thermal expansion in bipolar tissue sealing may lead to collateral tissue damage. Materials and Methods: Our investigations were carried out on an ex vivo model of porcine carotid arteries. Lateral thermal expansion was measured and a calculated index, based on thermographic recording and histologic examination, was designed to describe the risk of tissue damage. Results: For instrument 1, the mean extent of the critical zone > 50 °C was 2315 ± 509.2 µm above and 1700 ± 331.3 µm below the branches. The width of the necrosis zone was 412.5 ± 79.0 µm above and 426.7 ± 100.7µm below the branches. For instrument 2, the mean extent of the zone > 50 °C was 2032 ± 592.4 µm above and 1182 ± 386.9 µm below the branches. The width of the necrosis zone was 642.6 ± 158.2 µm above and 645.3 ± 111.9 µm below the branches. Our risk index indicated a low risk of damage for instrument 1 and a moderate to high risk for instrument 2. Conclusion: Thermography is a suitable method to estimate lateral heat propagation, and a validated risk index may lead to improved surgical handling.
Mechanistic Effects of E-Liquids on Biofilm Formation and Growth of Oral Commensal Streptococcal Communities: Effect of Flavoring Agents
Authors: Xu Christina P. , Palazzolo Dominic L. , Cuadra Giancarlo A.
Published: May 2022

Background: Vaping has become a global health concern. As research continues, more studies are beginning to question the relative safety of E-liquid flavoring additives. The oral cavity is the first site of exposure to E-liquid aerosol, making it critical for investigation. Because of the importance of commensal bacterial biofilms for oral health, we sought to explore the effects of E-liquids ± flavors on the formation and growth of single- and multi-species biofilms and to investigate the mechanism of inhibition. Methods: Quantitative and confocal biofilm analysis, death curves, and colony-forming units (CFU) were evaluated with flavorless and flavored (tobacco, menthol, cinnamon, strawberry, blueberry) E-liquids using four strains of oral commensal bacteria (Streptococcus gordonii, Streptococcus intermedius, Streptococcus mitis, and Streptococcus oralis). Results: All flavoring agents show a dose-dependent inhibition in the growth of single-species and multi-species biofilms. Furthermore, CFUs, death curves, and light microscopy show that flavoring agents have a bactericidal mode of inhibition on the growth of these oral streptococci. Conclusions: These results show that flavored, rather than unflavored, E-liquids are more detrimental to biofilm formation and growth of oral commensal bacteria. Consequently, E-liquid flavorings agents could pose risks to the oral microenvironment, and by extension, to systemic health.
Optimization Methods Applied to Motion Planning of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: A Review
Authors: Israr Amber , Ali Zain Anwar , Alkhammash Eman H. , Jussila Jari Juhani
Published: May 2022

A system that can fly off and touches down to execute particular tasks is a flying robot. Nowadays, these flying robots are capable of flying without human control and make decisions according to the situation with the help of onboard sensors and controllers. Among flying robots, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are highly attractive and applicable for military and civilian purposes. These applications require motion planning of UAVs along with collision avoidance protocols to get better robustness and a faster convergence rate to meet the target. Further, the optimization algorithm improves the performance of the system and minimizes the convergence error. In this survey, diverse scholarly articles were gathered to highlight the motion planning for UAVs that use bio-inspired algorithms. This study will assist researchers in understanding the latest work done in the motion planning of UAVs through various optimization techniques. Moreover, this review presents the contributions and limitations of every article to show the effectiveness of the proposed work.
The Influence of Green Product Development Performance to Enhance Enterprise Effectiveness and Innovation
Authors: Luan Nguyen Trong , Hau Doan Nguyen Duy , Thu Nguyen Thi Anh
Published: May 2022

Climate change and environmental crises are currently affecting the living environment of both people and the planet in general. This necessitates businesses to have a prompt and effective response to minimize or improve the harmful effects that lead to environmental imbalance and fulfill corporate social responsibility through focusing on transitioning to a model of sustainable economic development and encouraging the development and production of green products. This study discovers that the five factors green creativity, green dynamic capabilities, green transformational leadership, reactive green innovation, and proactive green innovation have a positive influence on and aid in the creation of exceptional green product development performance. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data for this research with the participation of more than 1000 people. These figures reveal that the participants are people who are knowledgeable about environmental issues and are actively interested in environmental protection (as well as people who have used green products). Research using software to support SPSS.20 and AMOS.24 to test the hypotheses. The study serves as a framework to help businesses better comprehend the relationship between economics and the environment with the purpose of providing valuable data and raising awareness for innovation in development models for businesses and organizations.
Dependence of Socio-Emotional Competence Expression on Gender and Grade for K5–K12 Students
Authors: Butvilas Tomas , Bubnys Remigijus , Colomer Jordi , Cañabate Dolors
Published: May 2022

Socio-emotional education is referred to as the missing part that links academic knowledge to successes in school, family, community, workplace, and life. Socio-emotional education, in conjunction with academic instruction, aims to lay the groundwork for a sound moral education. This manuscript is aimed at proving that socio-emotional education may improve children’s mental health. In total, 1322 students (of grades K5–K12) participated in this study back in October 2020. A statistically validated and partially modified questionnaire according to The Limbic Performance Indicators™ (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.92, p < 0.000) was used to assess general education school students’ social–emotional competencies. The study uses an abbreviated version of the questionnaire adapted by the Lithuanian Association of Social Emotional Education, which has been adapted with the consent of the selected age group. As a result, this study explores how to determine general education school students’ knowledge and skills in socio-emotional education while also identifying the best pedagogical approaches to addressing socio-emotional education. According to research findings, students that participated in the study displayed more personal values, respect for others, internal balance, collaboration, emotional perception of others, or basic emotional needs. Personal values, respect for others, emotional perception of others, internal balance, support, and basic emotional needs were estimated to be greater in the target group of girls than in the target group of boys.
Collaborative Reliable Event Transport Based on Mobile-Assisted Sensing in Urban Digital Twin
Authors: Yang Taehun , Park Soochang , Kim Sang-Ha
Published: May 2022

For urban digital twin, this paper comes up with a novel urban data acquisition scheme, denoted by collaborative reliable event transport (cRET), that conducts micro-scale sensing resolution in urban environments. cRET relies on battery-powered sensors with Bluetooth low-energy (BLE) modules and the smart mobile devices that people carry around urban places. However, the traditional data acquisition schemes with mobile assistance suffer from the poor communication channel quality of BLE. So, it is tough to achieve enough reliability of event observation. Hence, cRET utilizes overhearing-based collaboration among sensors to improve the data delivery ratio. It also could support reliable transmission over mobile devices despite high-speed moving. A proof-of-concept demonstrates that the reliability is improved by the overhearing and collaboration among sensors against low-channel conditions and a high moving speed of mobile devices, i.e., 30 km/h and more.
Detection of Image Steganography Using Deep Learning and Ensemble Classifiers
Authors: Płachta Mikołaj , Krzemień Marek , Szczypiorski Krzysztof , Janicki Artur
Published: May 2022

In this article, the problem of detecting JPEG images, which have been steganographically manipulated, is discussed. The performance of employing various shallow and deep learning algorithms in image steganography detection is analyzed. The data, images from the BOSS database, were used with information hidden using three popular steganographic algorithms: JPEG universal wavelet relative distortion (J-Uniward), nsF5, and uniform embedding revisited distortion (UERD) at two density levels. Various feature spaces were verified, with the discrete cosine transform residuals (DCTR) and the Gabor filter residuals (GFR) yielding best results. Almost perfect detection was achieved for the nsF5 algorithm at 0.4 bpnzac density (99.9% accuracy), while the detection of J-Uniward at 0.1 bpnzac density turned out to be hardly possible (max. 56.3% accuracy). The ensemble classifiers turned out to be an encouraging alternative to deep learning-based detection methods.
Analysis of the Composition of Substrate for Industrial Fermentation of Agaricus bisporus Based on Secondary and Tertiary Fermentation Mode Composition Analysis of Industrial Fermentation Substrates of A. bisporus
Authors: Juan Jiaxiang , Wang Qian , Gao Zhaoliang , Xiao Tingting , Chen Hui , Zhang Jinjing , Song Xiaoxia , Huang Jianchun
Published: May 2022

In this study, changes in metabolites during the fermentation of Agaricus bisporus compost under the Shanghai Lianzhong secondary fermentation method and Jiangsu Yuguan tertiary fermentation method were analysed by applying gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to understand the differences in metabolites under different fermentation methods and find metabolic markers at different fermentation stages in different fermentation methods. The results showed that 1002 compounds were identified. Based on the differential metabolites from pathways of significant enrichment, it was found that L-aspartic acid and 5-aminobenzolevulinic acid could be used as potential metabolic markers to evaluate the phase 2 fermentation method of Shanghai Lianzhong and the phase 3 fermentation method of Jiangsu Yuguan, respectively. This study provides a reference for the preparation of quality-stable fermentation materials and further understanding of the cultivation of A. bisporus with fermentation materials.
Effect of Fermented Camel Milk Containing Pumpkin Seed Milk on the Oxidative Stress Induced by Carbon Tetrachloride in Experimental Rats
Authors: Shahein Magdy Ramadan , Atwaa El Sayed Hassan , Alrashdi Barakat M. , Ramadan Mahytab Fawzy , Abd El-Sattar El Sayed , Siam Adel Abdel Hameed , Alblihed Mohamed A. , Elmahallawy Ehab Kotb
Published: May 2022

Oxidative stress can lead to chronic inflammation, nephrotoxicity, and renal damage. The consumption of plant-based dairy alternatives has increased rapidly worldwide due to their health effects. Bioactive components from natural sources, such as plants, are effective in protecting against oxidative stress. The present study evaluated the physicochemical and sensory properties of fermented camel milk made from camel milk mixed with pumpkin seed milk. Fermented camel milk consists of camel milk mixed with 25% and 50% pumpkin seed milk. This blend (fermented camel milk containing 50% pumpkin seed milk) was evaluated as an antioxidant agent in oxidative stress induced rats. A total of thirty-two male adult albino rats of Sprague Dawley® Rat strain weighing 150–180 g were randomly divided into four groups (n = 8). The first group was solely administered the standard diet and served as the negative control. The other rats (n = 24), received a basal diet, including being intraperitoneally injected with carbon tetrachloride, with a single dose at a rate of 2 mL/kg body weight) as a model for oxidative stress. The oxidative stress rats were divided into three groups; the first group did not receive any treatment and served as the positive control. The second and third groups were administered 10 g/day fermented camel milk and fermented camel milk containing 50% pumpkin seed milk. The results revealed that mixing the camel milk with pumpkin seed milk was more effective in increasing the total solids, protein, ash, fiber, acidity, viscosity, phenolic content, and antioxidant activity. These enhancements were proportional to the mixing ratio. Fermented camel milk containing 50% pumpkin seed milk exhibited the highest scores for sensory properties compared with the other fermented camel milk treatments. The group of rats with oxidative stress treated with fermented camel milk containing 50% pumpkin seed milk showed a significant decrease (p ≤ 0.05) in the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), cholesterol (CL), triglycerides (TGs), AST, ALT, creatinine, and urea, and increased (p ≤ 0.05) high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and total protein and albumin compared with rats with oxidative stress. Consumption of fermented camel milk containing 50% pumpkin seed milk by the oxidative stress rat groups caused significant improvement in all of these factors compared with the positive control group. This study revealed that the administration of fermented camel milk containing 50% pumpkin seed milk to rats with oxidative stress prevented disorders related to oxidative stress compared with the untreated oxidative stress group. Thus, incorporating fermented camel milk might play a beneficial role in patients with oxidative stress.
Effects of the Severity of Wildfires on Some Physical-Chemical Soil Properties in a Humid Montane Scrublands Ecosystem in Southern Ecuador
Authors: Carrión-Paladines Vinicio , Hinojosa María Belén , Jiménez Álvarez Leticia , Reyes-Bueno Fabián , Correa Quezada Liliana , García-Ruiz Roberto
Published: May 2022

Humid montane scrublands (HMs) represent one of the least studied ecosystems in Ecuador, which in the last decade have been seriously threatened by the increase in wildfires. Our main objective was to evaluate the effects of wildfire severity on physicochemical soil properties in the HMs of southern Ecuador. For this purpose, fire severity was measured using the Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) and the difference between pre-fire and post-fire (NBR Pre-fire-NBR Post-fire) over three contrasted periods (years 2019, 2017, and 2015) was determined. Likewise, 72 soil samples from burned HMs and 72 soil samples from unburned HMs were collected at a depth of 0 to 10 cm, and some physical (bulk density and texture) and biochemical (pH, soil organic matter, and total nutrients) soil properties were analyzed and statistically processed by one-way ANOVA and principal component analysis (PCA). Results indicate that burned HMs showed mixed-severity burning patterns and that in the most recent wildfires that are of high severity, SOM, N, P, Cu, and Zn contents decreased drastically (PCA: component 1); in addition, there was an increase in soil compaction (PCA: component 2). However, in older wildfires, total SOM, N, P, K, and soil pH content increases with time compared even to HMs that never burned (p-value < 0.05). These results can help decision makers in the design of policies, regulations, and proposals for the environmental restoration of HMs in southern Ecuador affected by wildfires.
A Targeted Metabolomics Approach to Study Secondary Metabolites and Antioxidant Activity in ‘Kinnow Mandarin’ during Advanced Fruit Maturity
Authors: Saini Manpreet Kaur , Capalash Neena , Varghese Eldho , Kaur Charanjit , Singh Sukhvinder Pal
Published: May 2022

In this study, we investigated the impact of harvest maturity stages and contrasting growing climates on secondary metabolites in Kinnow mandarin. Fruit samples were harvested at six harvest maturity stages (M1–M6) from two distinct growing locations falling under subtropical–arid (STA) and subtropical–humid (STH) climates. A high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) technique was employed to identify and quantify secondary metabolites in the fruit juice. A total of 31 polyphenolics and 4 limonoids, with significant differences (p < 0.05) in their concentration, were determined. With advancing maturity, phenolic acids and antioxidant activity were found to increase, whereas flavonoids and limonoids decreased in concentration. There was a transient increase in the concentration of some polyphenolics such as hesperidin, naringin, narirutin, naringenin, neoeriocitrin, rutin, nobiletin and tangeretin, and limonoid aglycones such as limonin and nomilin at mid-maturity stage (M3) which coincided with prevailing low temperature and frost events at growing locations. A higher concentration of limonin and polyphenolics was observed for fruit grown under STH climates in comparison to those grown under STA climates. The data indicate that fruit metabolism during advanced stages of maturation under distinct climatic conditions is fundamental to the flavor, nutrition and processing quality of Kinnow mandarin. This information can help in understanding the optimum maturity stage and preferable climate to source fruits with maximum functional compounds, less bitterness and high consumer acceptability.
A Novel Strategy to Identify Prognosis-Relevant Gene Sets in Cancers
Authors: Pu Junyi , Yu Hui , Guo Yan
Published: May 2022

Molecular prognosis markers hold promise for improved prediction of patient survival, and a pathway or gene set may add mechanistic interpretation to their prognostic prediction power. In this study, we demonstrated a novel strategy to identify prognosis-relevant gene sets in cancers. Our study consists of a first round of gene-level analyses and a second round of gene-set-level analyses, in which the Composite Gene Expression Score critically summarizes a surrogate expression value at gene set level and a permutation procedure is exerted to assess prognostic significance of gene sets. An optional differential coexpression module is appended to the two phases of survival analyses to corroborate and refine prognostic gene sets. Our strategy was demonstrated in 33 cancer types across 32,234 gene sets. We found oncogenic gene sets accounted for an increased proportion among the final gene sets, and genes involved in DNA replication and DNA repair have ubiquitous prognositic value for multiple cancer types. In summary, we carried out the largest gene set based prognosis study to date. Compared to previous similar studies, our approach offered multiple improvements in design and methodology implementation. Functionally relevant gene sets of ubiquitous prognostic significance in multiple cancer types were identified.
Lessons to Learn from the Gut Microbiota: A Focus on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Authors: Calvo Ana Cristina , Valledor-Martín Inés , Moreno-Martínez Laura , Toivonen Janne Markus , Osta Rosario
Published: May 2022

The gut microbiota is able to modulate the development and homeostasis of the central nervous system (CNS) through the immune, circulatory, and neuronal systems. In turn, the CNS influences the gut microbiota through stress responses and at the level of the endocrine system. This bidirectional communication forms the “gut microbiota–brain axis” and has been postulated to play a role in the etiopathology of several neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Numerous studies in animal models of ALS and in patients have highlighted the close communication between the immune system and the gut microbiota and, therefore, it is possible that alterations in the gut microbiota may have a direct impact on neuronal function and survival in ALS patients. Consequently, if the gut dysbiosis does indeed play a role in ALS-related neurodegeneration, nutritional immunomodulatory interventions based on probiotics, prebiotics, and/or postbiotics could emerge as innovative therapeutic strategies. This review aimed to shed light on the impact of the gut microbiota in ALS disease and on the use of potential nutritional interventions based on different types of biotics to ameliorate ALS symptoms.
Introducing Smart Marine Ecosystem-Based Planning (SMEP)—How SMEP Can Drive Marine Spatial Planning Strategy and Its Implementation in Greece
Authors: Contarinis Stilianos , Nakos Byron , Pallikaris Athanasios
Published: May 2022

This paper introduces smart marine ecosystem-based planning (SMEP), a marine spatial planning (MSP) strategy for more participatory and responsive marine governance by leveraging “smart” digital services. SMEP denotes an iterative MSP process with planning cycles that incorporate continuous data gathering of spatial–temporal natural phenomena and human activities in coastal and marine areas, with ongoing data mining to locate key patterns and trends, to strive for periodic refinement of the MSP output. SMEP aims to adopt an ecosystem-based approach, taking into account both living and nonliving aspects of the marine environment, and making use of all available spatial data at various resolutions. In pursuit of SMEP implementation, the paper examines the current state of the MSP process in Greece and relates its long-term success with the establishment of a marine spatial data infrastructure (MSDI), employing contemporary nautical cartography standards along with hydrospatial data services.
Respiratory Arousals in Patients with Very Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea and How They Change after a Non-Framework Surgery
Authors: Huang Ethan I. , Huang Shu-Yi , Lin Yu-Ching , Lin Chieh-Mo , Lin Chin-Kuo , Hsu Chia-Yu , Huang Ying-Chih , Su Jian-An
Published: May 2022

Respiratory arousal is the change from a state of sleep to a state of wakefulness following an apnea or hypopnea. In patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), it could have a helpful role to activate upper airway muscles and the resumption of airflow and an opposing role to contribute to greater ventilatory instability, continue cycling, and likely exacerbate OSA. Patients with very severe OSA (apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) ≥ 60 events/h) may have specific chemical (e.g., possible awake hypercapnic hypoxemia) and mechanical (e.g., restricted dilator muscles) stimuli to initiate a respiratory arousal. Little was reported about how respiratory arousal presents in this distinct subgroup, how it relates to AHI, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), body mass index (BMI), and oxygen saturation, and how a non-framework surgery may change it. Here, in 27 patients with very severe OSA, we show respiratory arousal index was correlated with each of AHI, mean oxyhemoglobin saturation of pulse oximetry (SpO2), mean desaturation, and desaturation index, but not in BMI or ESS. The mean (53.5 events/h) was higher than other reports with less severe OSAs in the literature. The respiratory arousal index can be reduced by about half (45.3%) after a non-framework multilevel surgery in these patients.
Identification, Characterization and Comparison of the Genome-Scale UTR Introns from Six Citrus Species
Authors: Cheng Chunzhen , Shi Xiaobao , Zhang Yongyan , Wang Bin , Wu Junwei , Yang Shizao , Wang Shaohua
Published: May 2022

Ever since their discovery, introns within the coding sequence (CDS) of transcripts have been paid great attention. However, the introns located in the untranslated regions (UTRs) are often ignored. Here, we identified, characterized and compared the UTR introns (UIs) from six citrus species. Results showed that the average intron number of UTRs is greatly lower than that of CDSs. Among all six citrus species, the number and density of 5′UTR introns (5UIs) are higher than those of 3′UTR introns (3UIs). The UI densities varied greatly among different citrus species. There are 11 and 9 types of splice site (SS) pairs for the UIs of C. sinensis and C. medica, respectively. However, the UIs of the other four citrus species all own only three kinds of SS pairs. The ‘GT-AG’, accounting for more than 95% of both 5UIs and 3UIs SS pairs for all the six species, is the most popular type. Moreover, 81 5UIs and 26 3UIs were identified as common UIs among the six citrus species, and the transcripts containing these common UIs were mostly involved in gene expression or gene expression regulation. Our study revealed that the UIs’ length, abundance, density and SS pair types varied among different citrus species and that many UI-containing genes play important roles in gene expression regulation. Our findings have great implications for future citrus UI function research.
Climate Extrapolations in Hydrology: The Expanded Bluecat Methodology
Authors: Koutsoyiannis Demetris , Montanari Alberto
Published: May 2022

Bluecat is a recently proposed methodology to upgrade a deterministic model (D-model) into a stochastic one (S-model), based on the hypothesis that the information contained in a time series of observations and the concurrent predictions made by the D-model is sufficient to support this upgrade. The prominent characteristics of the methodology are its simplicity and transparency, which allow its easy use in practical applications, without sophisticated computational means. In this paper, we utilize the Bluecat methodology and expand it in order to be combined with climate model outputs, which often require extrapolation out of the range of values covered by observations. We apply the expanded methodology to the precipitation and temperature processes in a large area, namely the entire territory of Italy. The results showcase the appropriateness of the method for hydroclimatic studies, as regards the assessment of the performance of the climate projections, as well as their stochastic conversion with simultaneous bias correction and uncertainty quantification.
Analysis on the Effectiveness and Characteristics of Treatment Modalities for Bowen’s Disease: An Observational Study
Authors: Park Hae-Eun , Park Jin-Woo , Kim Yeong-Ho , Han Ju-Hee , Bang Chul-Hwan , Park Young-Min , Lee Ji-Hyun
Published: May 2022

Treatment options for Bowen’s disease (BD) include surgical excision, cryotherapy, curettage with cautery, topical 5-fluorouracil or imiquimod, and photodynamic therapy. However, it is not clear which treatment is the most effective due to lack of studies. We reviewed the electronic medical records of 158 patients who were diagnosed with BD and treated at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital from January 2011 to December 2020. Treatment modalities were surgical excision, cryotherapy, photodynamic therapy, and imiquimod. A total of 121 patients was enrolled in this study. The average treatment period was longest for cryotherapy, followed by imiquimod, PDT, and excision (119.53, 87.75, 68.50, and 1 day, respectively). The therapeutic efficacy was highest in the surgical excision group (100%) and lowest in the PDT group (62.5%). The recurrence rate was highest in the imiquimod group (33.33%). Surprisingly, only in patients treated with cryotherapy, satellite lesions developed in 9.09% of them during follow-up. Surgical excision exhibited the highest clearance rate and the lowest recurrence rate, and its treatment period was the shortest, confirming that it remains the gold standard. In contrast, since cryotherapy demonstrated a relatively high recurrence rate including development of satellite lesions, careful monitoring is required when performing cryotherapy for treatment of BD.
Electrochemotherapy of Primary Colon Rectum Cancer and Local Recurrence: Case Report and Prospective Analysis
Authors: Rega Daniela , Granata Vincenza , Petrillo Antonella , Pace Ugo , Di Marzo Massimiliano , Fusco Roberta , D’Alessio Valeria , Nasti Guglielmo , Romano Carmela , Avallone Antonio , Ravo Vincenzo , Tatangelo Fabiana , Maiolino Piera , Palaia Raffaele , Izzo Francesco , Delrio Paolo
Published: May 2022

Purpose: Surgery, radiotherapy, and oncological treatment (chemotherapy and antineoplastic antibodies) are standard treatments of rectal cancer. ECT has shown its effectiveness and suitability in deep solid tumors conducted in both preclinical and clinical studies. We show here an update and preliminary results with locally advanced rectum cancer (LARC) treated with ECT. Methods: Two patients with major clinical response to restaging after neoadjuvant treatment for LARC were subjected to ECT 12 weeks after completing chemo-radiation therapy. One patient was subjected to ECT on a colorectal local recurrence formed after neoadjuvant treatment for LARC and surgery. Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging were used to assess ECT response. Results: The results showed stable disease in two of the three patients treated, while one patient achieved a complete response. The local control of disease is maintained in the patient follow-up. For each patient, a reduction in pain was observed and for the patient with local recurrence, a reduction in bleeding present before ECT was also achieved. Conclusion: Preliminary results showed that ECT is a safe and effective treatment in patients with a major clinical response or local recurrence after neoadjuvant therapy for LARC and allows a reduction in pain and bleeding with a consequent improvement to quality of life.
SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination Rate and SARS-CoV-2 Infection of Health Care Workers in Aerosol-Generating Medical Disciplines
Authors: Muzalyova Anna , Ebigbo Alanna , Kahn Maria , Zellmer Stephan , Beyer Albert , Rosendahl Jonas , Zenk Johannes , Al-Nawas Bilal , Frankenberger Roland , Hoffmann Juergen , Arens Christoph , Lammert Frank , Traidl-Hoffmann Claudia , Messmann Helmut , Roemmele Christoph
Published: May 2022

Healthcare workers (HCW) who perform aerosol-generating procedures (AGP) are at high risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Data on infection rates and vaccination are limited. A nationwide, cross-sectional study focusing on AGP-related specialties was conducted between 3 May 2021 and 14 June 2021. Vaccination rates among HCW, perception of infection risk, and infection rates were analyzed, focusing on the comparison of gastrointestinal endoscopy (GIE) and other AGP-related specialties (NON-GIE), from the beginning of the pandemic until the time point of the study. Infections rates among HCW developed similarly to the general population during the course of the pandemic, however, with significantly higher infections rates among the GIE specialty. The perceived risk of infection was distributed similarly among HCW in GIE and NON-GIE (91.7%, CI: 88.6–94.4 vs. 85.8%, CI: 82.4–89.0; p < 0.01) with strongest perceived threats posed by AGPs (90.8%) and close patient contact (70.1%). The very high vaccination rate (100–80%) among physicians was reported at 83.5%, being significantly more frequently reported than among nurses (56.4%, p < 0.01). GIE had more often stated very high vaccination rate compared with NON-GIE (76.1% vs. 65.3%, p < 0.01). A significantly higher rate of GIE was reported to have fewer concerns regarding infection risk after vaccination than NON-GIE (92.0% vs. 80.3%, p < 0.01).
Neurodevelopmental Pathways: Between Pathologisation and Neurodiversity
Authors: Roccella Michele , Vetri Luigi
Published: May 2022

Accurate identification of children’s pathogenic neuropsychological developmental trajectories or, on the contrary, of children’s typical developmental trajectories is one of the main objectives of developmental psychopathology [...]
Data Extraction of Circular-Shaped and Grid-like Chart Images
Authors: Bajić Filip , Job Josip
Published: May 2022

Chart data extraction is a crucial research field in recovering information from chart images. With the recent rise in image processing and computer vision algorithms, researchers presented various approaches to tackle this problem. Nevertheless, most of them use different datasets, often not publicly available to the research community. Therefore, the main focus of this research was to create a chart data extraction algorithm for circular-shaped and grid-like chart types, which will accelerate research in this field and allow uniform result comparison. A large-scale dataset is provided containing 120,000 chart images organized into 20 categories, with corresponding ground truth for each image. Through the undertaken extensive research and to the best of our knowledge, no other author reports the chart data extraction of the sunburst diagrams, heatmaps, and waffle charts. In this research, a new, fully automatic low-level algorithm is also presented that uses a raster image as input and generates an object-oriented structure of the chart of that image. The main novelty of the proposed approach is in chart processing on binary images instead of commonly used pixel counting techniques. The experiments were performed with a synthetic dataset and with real-world chart images. The obtained results demonstrate two things: First, a low-level bottom-up approach can be shared among different chart types. Second, the proposed algorithm achieves superior results on a synthetic dataset. The achieved average data extraction accuracy on the synthetic dataset can be considered state-of-the-art within multiple error rate groups.
Development of a Visualisation Approach for Analysing Incipient and Clinically Unrecorded Enamel Fissure Caries Using Laser-Induced Contrast Imaging, MicroRaman Spectroscopy and Biomimetic Composites: A Pilot Study
Authors: Seredin Pavel , Goloshchapov Dmitry , Kashkarov Vladimir , Emelyanova Anna , Buylov Nikita , Ippolitov Yuri , Prutskij Tatiana
Published: May 2022

This pilot study presents a practical approach to detecting and visualising the initial forms of caries that are not clinically registered. The use of a laser-induced contrast visualisation (LICV) technique was shown to provide detection of the originating caries based on the separation of emissions from sound tissue, areas with destroyed tissue and regions of bacterial invasion. Adding microRaman spectroscopy to the measuring system enables reliable detection of the transformation of the organic–mineral component in the dental tissue and the spread of bacterial microflora in the affected region. Further laboratory and clinical studies of the comprehensive use of LICV and microRaman spectroscopy enable data extension on the application of this approach for accurate determination of the boundaries in the changed dental tissue as a result of initial caries. The obtained data has the potential to develop an effective preventive medical diagnostic approach and as a result, further personalised medical treatment can be specified.
Relationship between Engraulis japonicus Resources and Environmental Factors Based on Multi-Model Comparison in Offshore Waters of Southern Zhejiang, China
Authors: Ma Wen , Gao Chunxia , Tang Wei , Qin Song , Ma Jin , Zhao Jing
Published: May 2022

In order to accurately explore the relationship between the density of Engraulis japonicus and environmental factors, five types of models, including Tweedie-Generalized Additive Model (GAM), two-stage GAM, Ad hoc-GAM, and Generalized Additive Mixing Model (GAMM), were compared based on the survey data in offshore waters of southern Zhejiang, China from 2015 to 2021 in this study. The results showed the best goodness of fit for two-stage GAM when processing the data of E. japonicus resource density. The deviance explained of GAM1 and GAM2 were 19.9 and 53.8%, respectively. According to this study, water temperature and salinity are important environmental factors affecting the distribution of E. japonicus, which are also closely related to latitude. In general, the resource density of E. japonicus decreases gradually with the increase in water temperature. When the salinity was between 26 ppt and 34 ppt, the resource density was higher. Also, there were some differences in the spatial distribution of E. japonicus in different seasons. The relationship between the resource density of E. japonicus and environmental factors was analyzed through various models to provide a scientific basis for the conservation management of E. japonicus in offshore waters of southern Zhejiang, China.
Utilization of Full-Mission Ship-Handling Simulators for Navigational Risk Assessment: A Case Study of Large Vessel Passage through the Istanbul Strait
Authors: Aydogdu Yusuf Volkan
Published: May 2022

The MV Ever Given accident, which took place in the Suez Canal in March 2021, showed the financial consequences of marine accidents in narrow channels as vessel sizes increase continuously. Fortunately, this incident did not threaten life nor the environment. Nevertheless, it has shown the need for a thorough investigation of large vessel passages through narrow channels and confined waterways. In this study, the utilization of a bridge simulator for risk assessment and determining safety criteria through the Istanbul Strait, which is one of the most critical and difficult waterways to navigate in the world, is given as a case study. In the literature, there are some studies illustrating the navigational difficulties and proposed countermeasures. However, there has been no study conducted to determine the safe passage conditions of large vessels in the Istanbul Strait. Hence, a Full-Mission Ship-Handling Simulator (FMSHS) was used to simulate the passage of large vessels in the Istanbul Strait. Scenarios were prepared and executed together with Strait Maritime Pilots to ensure the realism. After the scenarios were simulated, the outputs of each scenario were analyzed using the Environmental Stress (ES) model to highlight levels of risk that occur during the passage of large vessels, and finally, the necessary measures are recommended to mitigate the risk.
Impacts of Hurricanes on Nutrient Export and Ecosystem Metabolism in a Blackwater River Estuary Complex
Authors: Schafer Tracey , Dix Nicole , Dunnigan Shannon , Reddy K. Ramesh , Osborne Todd Z.
Published: May 2022

Hurricanes have the ability to export uncharacteristically large amounts of nutrients from terrestrial systems into riverine and estuarine networks, altering rates of ecosystem metabolism throughout the aquatic continuum. In order to explore these impacts and compare these values to common precipitation events, water quality and chemistry data from the National Estuarine Research Reserve’s System Wide Monitoring Program (NERR-SWMP) were combined with discharge data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to calculate biogeochemical export from a Florida coastal blackwater river. This analysis was focused on the years 2016–2020, when Hurricanes Matthew, Irma, and Dorian impacted the landscape of Florida’s Atlantic coast. Hurricane Irma, the only hurricane to occur after especially wet summer conditions, dwarfed the other two hurricanes in the export of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), with an increase from <5 kg DOC day−1 to approximately 250 kg DOC day−1. Soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and most nitrogen species export exhibited similar trends. Additionally, other spikes in export occurred during non-hurricane months, and no significant differences between monthly export values were found between hurricane and non-hurricane months. However, net ecosystem metabolism (NEM) was calculated at similar intervals and revealed significantly lower NEM during months of hurricane passage. On monthly timescales, this work suggests that lower-category hurricanes might not significantly impact organic matter export, but the shortened export interval associated with hurricane impacts produces significant implications for NEM.
Time-Domain Implementation and Analyses of Multi-Motion Modes of Floating Structures
Authors: Sheng Wanan , Tapoglou Evdokia , Ma Xiandong , Taylor C. James , Dorrell Robert , Parsons Daniel R. , Aggidis George
Published: May 2022

The study of wave-structure interactions involving nonlinear forces would often make use of the popular hybrid frequency–time domain method. In the hybrid method, the frequency-domain analysis could firstly provide the reliable and accurate dynamic parameters and responses; then these parameters and responses are transformed to the parameters to establishing the basic time-domain equation. Additionally, with the addition of the required linear and nonlinear forces, the time-domain analysis can be used to solve for the practical problems. However, the transformation from the frequency domain to the time domain is not straightforward, and the implementation of the time-domain equation could become increasingly complicated when different modes of motion are coupled. This research presents a systematic introduction on how to implement the time-domain analysis for floating structures, including the parameter transformations from the frequency domain to the time domain, and the methods for calculating and approximating the impulse functions and the fluid-memory effects, with special attention being paid to the coupling terms among the different motion modes, and the correctness of the time-domain-equation implementation. The main purpose of this article is to provide relevant information for those who wish to build their own time-domain analyses with the open-source hydrodynamic analysis packages, although commercial packages are available for time-domain analyses.