bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Machine Learning-Based Routine Laboratory Tests Predict One-Year Cognitive and Functional Decline in a Population Aged 75+ Years
Authors: Gomes Karina Braga , Pereira Ramon Gonçalves , Braga Alexandre Alberto , Guimarães Henrique Cerqueira , Resende Elisa de Paula França , Teixeira Antônio Lúcio , Barbosa Maira Tonidandel , Junior Wagner Meira , Carvalho Maria das Graças , Caramelli Paulo
Published: April 2023

Background: Cognitive and functional decline are common problems in older adults, especially in those 75+ years old. Currently, there is no specific plasma biomarker able to predict this decline in healthy old-age people. Machine learning (ML) is a subarea of artificial intelligence (AI), which can be used to predict outcomes Aim: This study aimed to evaluate routine laboratory variables able to predict cognitive and functional impairment, using ML algorithms, in a cohort aged 75+ years, in a one-year follow-up study. Method: One hundred and thirty-two older adults aged 75+ years were selected through a community-health public program or from long-term-care institutions. Their functional and cognitive performances were evaluated at baseline and one year later using a functional activities questionnaire, Mini-Mental State Examination, and the Brief Cognitive Screening Battery. Routine laboratory tests were performed at baseline. ML algorithms—random forest, support vector machine (SVM), and XGBoost—were applied in order to describe the best model able to predict cognitive and functional decline using routine tests as features. Results: The random forest model showed better accuracy than other algorithms and included triglycerides, glucose, hematocrit, red cell distribution width (RDW), albumin, hemoglobin, globulin, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), creatinine, lymphocyte, erythrocyte, platelet/leucocyte (PLR), and neutrophil/leucocyte (NLR) ratios, and alanine transaminase (ALT), leukocyte, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), cortisol, gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and eosinophil as features to predict cognitive decline (accuracy = 0.79). For functional decline, the most important features were platelet, PLR and NLR, hemoglobin, globulin, cortisol, RDW, glucose, basophil, B12 vitamin, creatinine, GGT, ALT, aspartate transferase (AST), eosinophil, hematocrit, erythrocyte, triglycerides, HDL-c, and monocyte (accuracy = 0.92). Conclusions: Routine laboratory variables could be applied to predict cognitive and functional decline in oldest-old populations using ML algorithms.
A Cross-Sectional Study: Structural and Related Functional Connectivity Changes in the Brain: Stigmata of Adverse Parenting in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder?
Authors: Nie Zhaowen , Xie Xinhui , Kang Lijun , Wang Wei , Xu Shuxian , Chen Mianmian , Yao Lihua , Gong Qian , Zhou Enqi , Li Meng , Wang Huiling , Bu Lihong , Liu Zhongchun
Published: April 2023

Background: There is a high correlation between the risk of major depressive disorder (MDD) and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as adverse parenting (AP). While there appears to be an association between ACEs and changes in brain structure and function, there have yet to be multimodal neuroimaging studies of associations between parenting style and brain developmental changes in MDD patients. To explore the effect of AP on brain structure and function. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 125 MDD outpatients were included in the study and divided into the AP group and the optimal parenting (OP) group. Participants completed self-rating scales to assess depressive severity, symptoms, and their parents’ styles. They also completed magnetic resonance imaging within one week of filling out the instruments. The differences between groups of gender, educational level, and medications were analyzed using the chi-squared test and those of age, duration of illness, and scores on scales using the independent samples t-test. Differences in gray matter volume (GMV) and resting-state functional connectivity (RS-FC) were assessed between groups. Results: AP was associated with a significant increase in GMV in the right superior parietal lobule (SPL) and FC between the right SPL and the bilateral medial superior frontal cortex in MDD patients. Limitations: The cross-cultural characteristics of AP will result in the lack of generalizability of the findings. Conclusions: The results support the hypothesis that AP during childhood may imprint the brain and affect depressive symptoms in adulthood. Parents should pay attention to the parenting style and avoid a style that lacks warmth.
Gender Congruency Effects in Spanish: Behavioral Evidence from Noun Phrase Production
Authors: Wu Ruixue , Schiller Niels O.
Published: April 2023

Grammatical gender as a lexico-syntactic feature has been well explored, and the gender congruency effect has been observed in many languages (e.g., Dutch, German, Croatian, Czech, etc.). Yet, so far, this effect has not been found in Romance languages such as Italian, French, and Spanish. It has been argued that the absence of the effect in Romance languages is due the fact that the gender-marking definite article is not exclusively dependent on the grammatical gender of the head noun, but also on its onset phonology (e.g., lo zucchero is ‘the sugar’ in Italian, not il zucchero, il being the default masculine determiner in Italian). For Spanish, this argument has also been made because feminine words starting with a stressed /a/ take the masculine article (e.g., el água is ‘the water’, not la água). However, the number of words belonging to that set is rather small in Spanish, and it may be questionable whether or not this feature can be taken as an argument for the absence of a gender congruency effect in Spanish. In this study, we investigated the gender congruency effect in native Spanish noun phrase production. We measured 30 native Spanish speakers’ naming latencies in four conditions via the picture–word interference paradigm by manipulating gender congruency (i.e., gender-congruent vs. gender-incongruent) and semantic relatedness (i.e., semantically related vs. semantically unrelated). The results revealed significantly longer naming latencies in gender-incongruent and semantically related conditions compared to gender-congruent and semantically unrelated conditions. This result suggests that grammatical gender as a lexico-syntactic feature in Spanish is used to competitively select determiners in native Spanish speakers’ noun phrases. Our findings provide an important behavioral piece of evidence for the gender congruency effect in Romance languages.
Concern about the Spread of COVID-19 in Regular Basic Education Teachers When Returning to Face-to-Face Classes
Authors: Estrada-Araoz Edwin Gustavo , Bautista-Quispe Judith Annie , Callata-Gallegos Zaida Esther , Arce-Coaquira Ronald Raul , Quispe-Mamani Yony Abelardo , Yabar-Miranda Percy Samuel , Paredes-Valverde Yolanda , Quispe-Herrera Rosel
Published: April 2023

During the health emergency caused by COVID-19, a series of sensations such as fear, stress, and concern about contracting the virus were developed. Despite the fact that in recent months infection rates have been significantly reduced due to vaccination campaigns, the return of teachers to face-to-face classes established in Peru from April 2022 has increased once again the fear that contagion levels could grow. Therefore, the objective was to analyze the concern of regular basic education teachers about the spread of COVID-19 when returning to face-to-face classes. A quantitative investigation was carried out; the research design was observational and the type of study was descriptive cross-sectional. The sample was made up of 648 teachers who responded to the Scale of Concern for the Contagion of COVID-19, an instrument with adequate psychometric properties. The results show that 43.8% of teachers had moderate levels of concern about the spread of COVID-19, 38.7% had low levels, and 17.5% had high levels. Teachers reported most recurrent concerns about some risks in educational institutions and the fear of spreading COVID-19 to their relatives or people with whom they lived. On the other hand, it was found that some sociodemographic, occupational, and medical variables were significantly associated with this concern (p < 0.05). Then, it was concluded that teachers had moderate levels of concern about the spread of COVID-19 when returning to face-to-face classes.
Building Energy Performance Modeling through Regression Analysis: A Case of Tyree Energy Technologies Building at UNSW Sydney
Authors: Tahmasebinia Faham , He Ruihan , Chen Jiayang , Wang Shang , Sepasgozar Samad M. E.
Published: April 2023

Addressing clients’ demands, designers have become increasingly concerned about the operation phases of buildings and, more specifically, energy consumption. This issue has become more prominent as people realize that the Earth’s resources are limited and depleted, and buildings are major energy consumers. Building Information Modelling (BIM) has gained popularity in recent years and is now widely used by architects, engineers, and construction teams to collaborate and provide a comprehensive design that follows a sustainable strategy. The objective of this research is to examine how building variables are linked to energy consumption in various building shapes, achieved by building prototypes. The accuracy of the regression models is evaluated by undergoing a validation process. Consequently, this study created building information models of selected education facility office rooms and used Autodesk Insight 360 and Green Building Studio (GBS) to perform energy simulations. A 6 Green Star education building in Australia is chosen as the case study of this paper. Thirteen variables related to building internal design were examined, and five were found to endure a substantial effect on building energy consumption. The study also looked at the window-to-wall ratio (WWR), which was analyzed by multi-linear regression; however, the results showed that the model did not fit well, and the error obtained during the validation process ranged from 1.0% to 26.0%, which is unacceptable for this research. These findings highlight some limitations in using BIM tools and linear regression methods and discuss some potential improvements that can be achieved in future studies.
Passive Intelligent Kinetic External Dynamic Shade Design for Improving Indoor Comfort and Minimizing Energy Consumption
Authors: Sorooshnia Ehsan , Rahnamayiezekavat Payam , Rashidi Maria , Sadeghi Mahsan , Samali Bijan
Published: April 2023

In humid subtropical climates with a green environment, windows are the most dominant envelope elements affecting indoor visual and thermal comfort and visual connection to the outdoors. This research aims to optimize a dynamic external shading system for north-facing windows in Sydney, Australia, which acts automatically in eight predefined scenarios in response to indoor comfort conditions. The method of investigation was simulating a multi-objective optimization approach using Non-dominated Sorting Particle Swarm Optimization (NSPSO) to assess visual and thermal comfort along with energy usage and view of the outside. A combination of human and sensor assessments were applied to validate the simulations. A set of sensors and High Quality (HQ) cameras fed the system input to operate the shade. Simulations and field measurements demonstrated that optimized shading scenarios brought average yearly reductions of 71.43%, 72.52%, and 1.78% in Annual Solar Exposure, Spatial Daylight Glare, and LEED Quality View, respectively, without sacrificing Daylight Autonomy. Moreover, yearly improvements of 71.77% in cooling demand were achieved. The downside of the shading system was an increase of 0.80% in heating load and 23.76% in lighting electricity, which could be a trade-off for improved comfort and energy savings. This study investigated the effect of dynamic external shade on visual and thermal comfort together with energy usage and view, which has not been investigated for southern-hemisphere dwellings. A camera-sensor-fed mechanism operated the external shade automatically, providing indoor comfort without manual operation.
Predicting Seismic Collapse Safety of Post-Fire Steel Moment Frames
Authors: Dehcheshmeh Esmaeil Mohammadi , Rashed Parya , Broujerdian Vahid , Shakouri Ayoub , Aslani Farhad
Published: April 2023

This paper summarizes a study focused on evaluating the post-fire performance of steel Intermediate Moment Frames (IMFs) following earthquakes. To this aim, archetypes comprising 3-bay IMFs with three different heights were seismically designed, and their two-dimensional finite element models were created in OpenSees software. The post-fire mechanical properties of steel were inserted into the models based on 64 different fire scenarios. The effects of different cooling methods are scrutinized at system level. To develop seismic fragility curves, Incremental Dynamic Analysis (IDA) was performed using 50 suites of far-field and near-field records, according to FEMA-P695. Then, the Collapse Margin Ratio (CMR) of each model was calculated based on the data from the fragility analysis. The results show that the seismic resistance of structures that experienced fire declines to some extent. In addition, the lowest safety level was observed when the structures were subjected to pulse-like near-field records.
Sustainable Vernacular Architecture: The Renovation of a Traditional House on Stara Planina Mountain in Serbia
Authors: Stanimirovic Mirko , Vasov Miomir , Mancic Marko , Rancev Boris , Medenica Milena
Published: April 2023

In the last few years, Stara planina (the Balkan Mountains) and its surroundings have been improving their tourist offer. The area is protected by law, as a nature park, and the construction of new buildings requires a complex administrative procedure. Renovation of country houses is part of the usual construction procedures and is easier to carry out. Typical renovation solutions involve application of industrial materials with significant impact on the environment from the process of their production and further on. The traditional houses found in many mountains across Serbia and the Balkans are constructed using natural materials. Hence, this paper tackles the problem of renovating such dwellings by application of natural materials to improve their usability and reduce their energy and carbon footprint. An analysis is performed on a case study model of a typical house from Stara planina. The advantages of using natural materials in the process of renovating a traditional house are analysed. By using TRNSYS software, the total amount of energy demands of the house during a typical meteorological year with four scenarios (current state, walls isolated with sheep and hemp wool panels and EPS) was simulated. These materials were further analysed for their environmental impact by means of Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). In the synthesis of the research, the best results were brought into connection with the sustainable development of the architectural heritage. The results prove that natural products provide the necessary thermal comfort and have a significantly more positive impact on the environment than artificial materials. Based on this study, recommendations were created for the sustainable renovation of vernacular architecture in Serbia. The goal of the paper is to create scientific and professional evidence that local and natural materials must be used to reduce the impact of climate change and that such sustainable renovation is in accordance with modern architectural design and thermal comfort. The goal is also to fill the gap in renovation methods in Serbia, according to the principles of sustainable design.
Evaluating the Impact of Housing Interior Design on Elderly Independence and Activity: A Thematic Review
Authors: Mnea Aysha , Zairul Mohd
Published: April 2023

Concerns about a rapidly increasing elderly population mostly relate to the need for adequate housing and welfare for the aged. The poor design of housing for the elderly has led to the charge that the needs of aging people have not been adequately anticipated. There is little focus on design features that facilitate aging in place, hence improving the quality of life for the elderly, for example. This study examines the impact of interior housing design on the lives of the elderly, through a review of research on the subject and an evaluation of current design trends. Using a keyword search, 51 empirical studies from 2013 to 2022 that focus on housing for the elderly were identified and analyzed in terms of architectural features, home environment, and energy efficiency. The review found minimal connections have been made between interior design efforts and the actual housing needs of the elderly. This thematic review provides a summary of this literature for use by researchers and designers and recommends future studies for the use of inclusive designs in housing interiors in order to better meet the needs of elderly individuals.
A Qualitative Study on Factors Influencing Technology Adoption in the Architecture Industry
Authors: Algassim Hesham , Sepasgozar Samad M. E. , Ostwald Michael , Davis Steven
Published: April 2023

The architecture service industry has typically been slow in accepting new digital technologies due to many reasons, such as the industry’s complexity, the diverse sizes of companies, client types, and stakeholders’ technical skills. The combination of these business service factors with those that affect the intention of a user to use a technology offers a novel model for predicting the success of technology adoption in this business. This study aims to identify the factors in the architecture industry that influence the process of technology adoption. The process of qualitative data collection was conducted using semi-structured interviews with the participation of 30 architecture and design managers to explore the factors that they consider important when adopting digital technology in their organizations. This was conducted to compare these factors with those identified by users as influential in the adoption of digital technology. The analysis was conducted in three stages, namely transcribing, coding, and extracting major themes. This study will further help in identifying whether managers viewed the factors identified in the quantitative study as significant in affecting their decisions to adopt the technology. The major findings of this study revealed that several factors influence the adoption of technology in the architecture industry at the managerial level. These factors include cost, brief preparation, service quality, result demonstrability, project time, environmental considerations, training considerations, and user-friendliness.
Strengthening Behavior of Rectangular Stainless Steel Tube Beams Filled with Recycled Concrete Using Flat CFRP Sheets
Authors: Dabbagh Noaman Mohammed Ridha , Al Zand Ahmed W. , Liejy Mohammed Chyad , Ansari Mohammad , Tawfeeq Wadhah M. , Badaruzzaman Wan Hamidon Wan , Kaish A. B. M. A. , Yaseen Zaher Mundher
Published: April 2023

Recently, the adoption of recycled concrete instead of normal concrete as infill material in tubular stainless steel members has received great attention from researchers regarding environmental improvement. However, the flexural behavior of recycled concrete-filled stainless steel tube (RCFSST) beams that have been repaired/strengthened using carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets via a partial-wrapping scheme has not yet been investigated, and is required for a variety of reasons, as with any conventional structural member. Therefore, this study experimentally tested six specimens for investigating the effects of using varied recycled aggregate content (0%, 50%, and 100%) in infill concrete material of stainless steel tube beams strengthened with CFRP sheets. Additionally, several finite element RCFSST models were built and analyzed to numerically investigate the effects of further parameters, such as the varied width-to-thickness ratios and yield strengths. Generally, the results showed that using 100% recycled aggregates in infill concrete material reduced the RCFSST beam’s bending capacity by about 15% when compared to the corresponding control specimen (0% recycled aggregate), with little difference in the failure mode behavior. Pre-damaged RCFSST beam capacity showed significant improvement (43.6%) when strengthened with three CFRP layers. The RCFST model with a lower w/t ratio showed better-strengthening performance than those with a higher ratio, where, the models with w/t ratios equal to 15 and 48 achieved a bending capacity improvement equal to about 18% and 35%, respectively, as an example. Furthermore, the results obtained from the current study are well compared by those predicted using the existing analytical methods.
Thermal Performance Assessment of Envelope Retrofits for Existing School Buildings in a Hot–Humid Climate: A Case Study in Chennai, India
Authors: Surendran Vidhya Maney , Irulappan Chandramathy , Jeyasingh Vijayalaxmi , Ramalingam Velraj
Published: April 2023

This study aims to propose building envelope retrofit packages for existing naturally ventilated school buildings in the hot–humid climatic region of Chennai, India. Indoor thermal parameters were collected through field studies from nine sample classrooms of a selected school building in May 2019, between 9.00 am and 4.00 pm. The thermal performance assessment of the existing building was performed by examining the discomfort hours using the CBE thermal comfort tool. Envelope retrofit strategies gathered from the literature and building standards were applied and studied through simulation. The findings reveal the enormous potential to increase the thermal comfort of existing school buildings through envelope retrofit measures. The results demonstrate that the whole-building temperature can be reduced up to 3.2 °C in summer and up to 3.4 °C in winter. Implementing retrofit measures to the building envelopes of existing buildings will help school owners to increase the comfortable hours of whole buildings by up to 17%. In comparison, annual energy savings of up to 13% for the whole building can be made by enhancing the thermal performance of the building envelope. The findings will also help architects to optimise thermal performance and energy usage with minimal interventions.
Reviewing the Prospective Pharmacological Potential of Isothiocyanates in Fight against Female-Specific Cancers
Authors: Shoaib Shoaib , Khan Farheen Badrealam , Alsharif Meshari A. , Malik M. Shaheer , Ahmed Saleh A. , Jamous Yahya F. , Uddin Shahab , Tan Ching Siang , Ardianto Chrismawan , Tufail Saba , Ming Long Chiau , Yusuf Nabiha , Islam Najmul
Published: April 2023

Gynecological cancers are the most commonly diagnosed malignancies in females worldwide. Despite the advancement of diagnostic tools as well as the availability of various therapeutic interventions, the incidence and mortality of female-specific cancers is still a life-threatening issue, prevailing as one of the major health problems worldwide. Lately, alternative medicines have garnered immense attention as a therapeutic intervention against various types of cancers, seemingly because of their safety profiles and enhanced effectiveness. Isothiocyanates (ITCs), specifically sulforaphane, benzyl isothiocyanate, and phenethyl isothiocyanate, have shown an intriguing potential to actively contribute to cancer cell growth inhibition, apoptosis induction, epigenetic alterations, and modulation of autophagy and cancer stem cells in female-specific cancers. Additionally, it has been shown that ITCs plausibly enhance the chemo-sensitization of many chemotherapeutic drugs. To this end, evidence has shown enhanced efficacy in combinatorial regimens with conventional chemotherapeutic drugs and/or other phytochemicals. Reckoning with these, herein, we discuss the advances in the knowledge regarding the aspects highlighting the molecular intricacies of ITCs in female-specific cancers. In addition, we have also argued regarding the potential of ITCs either as solitary treatment or in a combinatorial therapeutic regimen for the prevention and/or treatment of female-specific cancers. Hopefully, this review will open new horizons for consideration of ITCs in therapeutic interventions that would undoubtedly improve the prognosis of the female-specific cancer clientele. Considering all these, it is reasonable to state that a better understanding of these molecular intricacies will plausibly provide a facile opportunity for treating these female-specific cancers.
Optimizing Treatment Options for Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia in Older Patients with Comorbidities
Authors: Oshikawa Gaku , Sasaki Koji
Published: April 2023

Traditionally, the goal of AML therapy has been to induce remission through intensive chemotherapy, maintain long-term remission using consolidation therapy, and achieve higher rates of a cure by allogeneic transplantation in patients with a poor prognosis. However, for the elderly patients and those with comorbidities, the toxicity often surpasses the therapeutic benefits of intensive chemotherapy. Consequently, low-intensity therapies, such as the combination of a hypomethylating agent with venetoclax, have emerged as promising treatment options for elderly patients. Given the rise of low-intensity therapies as the leading treatment option for the elderly, it is increasingly important to consider patients’ age and comorbidities when selecting a treatment option. The recently proposed comorbidity-based risk stratification for AML allows prognosis stratification not only in patients undergoing intensive chemotherapy, but also in those receiving low-intensity chemotherapy. Optimizing treatment intensity based on such risk stratification is anticipated to balance treatment efficacy and safety, and will ultimately improve the life expectancy for patients with AML.
Discrete Au1(0) Stabilized by 15-Crown-5 for High-Efficiency Catalytic Reduction of Nitrophenol and Nitroaniline
Authors: Shen Xing , Liu Kairui
Published: April 2023

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have been synthesized using a variety of methods in recent years, and they have shown excellent catalytic activities. However, metal atoms show a high tendency to agglomerate in liquid media, making the single atom synthesis more difficult in liquid media. The synthesis of such metal single-atom catalysts that do not have strong ligand coordination is rarely reported in the literature. Herein, we report the facile synthesis of monodispersed Au atoms (Au1) through the reduction in HAuCl4 in 15-crown-5. The complete reduction in HAuCl4 was confirmed through UV-Vis spectroscopy. In addition, the Au was found in a zero valence state after reduction, which was confirmed through XPS and XANES results. Moreover, the dispersion of Au was confirmed as a single atom (Au1) through transmission electron microscopy and spherical aberration electron microscopy. The possible structure of this catalyst was proposed by matching the EXAFS results with the structure of Au1@15-crown-5 as -(OC2H4O)-AuCl2H2. The Au1@15-crown-5 showed high activity (TOF as high as 22,075) in the reduction in nitrophenol and nitroaniline to aminophenol and phenylenediamine by sodium borohydride. Because of the monodispersion of Au atoms, its performance is much better than noble nanoparticles and non-precious metal catalysts.
Transition Metal-Free Synthesis of 3-Acylquinolines through Formal [4+2] Annulation of Anthranils and Enaminones
Authors: Zhang Kai-Ling , Yang Jia-Cheng , Guo Qin , Zou Liang-Hua
Published: April 2023

A transition metal-free protocol has been developed for the synthesis of 3-acyl quinolines through aza-Michael addition and intramolecular annulation of enaminones with anthranils. Both methanesulfonic acid (MSA) and NaI play an important role in the reaction. This ring-opening/reconstruction strategy features easy operation, high yields, broad substrate scope and excellent efficiency.
An Evaluation of Glycerol Acetalization with Benzaldehyde over a Ferromagnetic Heteropolyacid Catalyst
Authors: Doukeh Rami , Râpă Maria , Matei Ecaterina , Prodan Doina , Győrgy Romuald , Trifoi Ancuta , Banu Ionut
Published: April 2023

Tungstophosphoric acid (H3PW12O40) supported on silica-coated magnetite nanoparticles has been prepared and used as a heterogeneous acid catalyst (Fe3O4@SiO2@HPW) in the condensation of benzaldehyde (B) with glycerol (Gly) for the production of cyclic acetals. Physicochemical techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and N2 physisorption were used to characterize the prepared catalyst. The effect of glycerol/benzaldehyde molar ratio (1/1 to 1/1.2), temperature (80–120 °C), and catalyst amount (1–5%) on glycerol conversion and the selectivity in main reaction products: benzoic acid, 2-phenyl-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl)methanol, 2-Phenyl-1,3-dioxan-5-ol, 2-phenyl-1,3-dioxolane, and methyl 2-hydroxy-3-phenylpropanoate was studied to evaluate the catalytic activity of the prepared Fe3O4@SiO2@HPW catalyst. The optimization of these process parameters was conducted using Box–Behnken design (BBD). Using the BBD methodology, the optimal parameters (120 °C, 1:1.15 glycerol: benzaldehyde, 5% catalyst) were determined, for a glycerol conversion of and cyclic acetals yield of 85.95% and 78.36%, respectively. The catalyst also exhibits excellent activity for glycerol acetalization with other aromatic aldehydes such as cinnamaldehyde, p-methyl-benzaldehyde, p-hydroxy-benzaldehyde, and vanillin.
Parsimonious Effect of Pentoxifylline on Angiogenesis: A Novel Pentoxifylline-Biased Adenosine G Protein-Coupled Receptor Signaling Platform
Authors: Khoury William , Trus Ryan , Chen Xingyu , Baghaie Leili , Clark Mira , Szewczuk Myron R. , El-Diasty Mohammad
Published: April 2023

Angiogenesis is the physiological process of developing new blood vessels to facilitate the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to meet the functional demands of growing tissues. It also plays a vital role in the development of neoplastic disorders. Pentoxifylline (PTX) is a vasoactive synthetic methyl xanthine derivative used for decades to manage chronic occlusive vascular disorders. Recently, it has been proposed that PTX might have an inhibitory effect on the angiogenesis process. Here, we reviewed the modulatory effects of PTX on angiogenesis and its potential benefits in the clinical setting. Twenty-two studies met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. While sixteen studies demonstrated that pentoxifylline had an antiangiogenic effect, four suggested it had a proangiogenic effect, and two other studies showed it did not affect angiogenesis. All studies were either in vivo animal studies or in vitro animal and human cell models. Our findings suggest that pentoxifylline may affect the angiogenic process in experimental models. However, there is insufficient evidence to establish its role as an anti-angiogenesis agent in the clinical setting. These gaps in our knowledge regarding how pentoxifylline is implicated in host-biased metabolically taxing angiogenic switch may be via its adenosine A2BAR G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) mechanism. GPCR receptors reinforce the importance of research to understand the mechanistic action of these drugs on the body as promising metabolic candidates. The specific mechanisms and details of the effects of pentoxifylline on host metabolism and energy homeostasis remain to be elucidated.
Steatosis and Metabolic Disorders Associated with Synergistic Activation of the CAR/RXR Heterodimer by Pesticides
Authors: Dauwe Yannick , Mary Lucile , Oliviero Fabiana , Grimaldi Marina , Balaguer Patrick , Gayrard Véronique , Mselli-Lakhal Laïla
Published: April 2023

The nuclear receptor, constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), which forms a heterodimer with the retinoid X receptor (RXR), was initially reported as a transcription factor that regulates hepatic genes involved in detoxication and energy metabolism. Different studies have shown that CAR activation results in metabolic disorders, including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, by activating lipogenesis in the liver. Our objective was to determine whether synergistic activations of the CAR/RXR heterodimer could occur in vivo as described in vitro by other authors, and to assess the metabolic consequences. For this purpose, six pesticides, ligands of CAR, were selected, and Tri-butyl-tin (TBT) was used as an RXR agonist. In mice, CAR’s synergic activation was induced by dieldrin associated with TBT, and combined effects were induced by propiconazole, bifenox, boscalid, and bupirimate. Moreover, a steatosis, characterized by increased triglycerides, was observed when TBT was combined with dieldrin, propiconazole, bifenox, boscalid, and bupirimate. Metabolic disruption appeared in the form of increased cholesterol and lowered free fatty acid plasma levels. An in-depth analysis revealed increased expression of genes involved in lipid synthesis and lipid import. These results contribute to the growing understanding of how environmental contaminants can influence nuclear receptor activity and associated health risks.
Overexpression of GREM1 Improves the Survival Capacity of Aged Cardiac Mesenchymal Progenitor Cells via Upregulation of the ERK/NRF2-Associated Antioxidant Signal Pathway
Authors: Kaur Gurleen , Wang Xiaoliang , Li Xiuchun , Ong Hannah , He Xiangfei , Cai Chuanxi
Published: April 2023

Ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of mortality in the United States. Progenitor cell therapy can restore myocardial structure and function. However, its efficacy is severely limited by cell aging and senescence. Gremlin-1 (GREM1), a member of the bone morphogenetic protein antagonist family, has been implicated in cell proliferation and survival. However, GREM1’s role in cell aging and senescence has never been investigated in human cardiac mesenchymal progenitor cells (hMPCs). Therefore, this study assessed the hypothesis that overexpression of GREM1 rejuvenates the cardiac regenerative potential of aging hMPCs to a youthful stage and therefore allows better capacity for myocardial repair. We recently reported that a subpopulation of hMPCs with low mitochondrial membrane potential can be sorted from right atrial appendage-derived cells in patients with cardiomyopathy and exhibit cardiac reparative capacity in a mouse model of myocardial infarction. In this study, lentiviral particles were used to overexpress GREM1 in these hMPCs. Protein and mRNA expression were assessed through Western blot and RT-qPCR. FACS analysis for Annexin V/PI staining and lactate dehydrogenase assay were used to assess cell survival. It was observed that cell aging and cell senescence led to a decrease in GREM1 expression. In addition, overexpression of GREM1 led to a decrease in expression of senescence genes. Overexpression of GREM1 led to no significant change in cell proliferation. However, GREM1 appeared to have an anti-apoptotic effect, with an increase in survival and decrease in cytotoxicity evident in GREM1-overexpressing hMPCs. Overexpressing GREM1 also induced cytoprotective properties by decreasing reactive oxidative species and mitochondrial membrane potential. This result was associated with increased expression of antioxidant proteins, such as SOD1 and catalase, and activation of the ERK/NRF2 survival signal pathway. Inhibition of ERK led to a decrease in GREM1-mediated rejuvenation in terms of cell survival, which suggests that an ERK-dependent pathway may be involved. Taken altogether, these results indicate that overexpression of GREM1 can allow aging hMPCs to adopt a more robust phenotype with improved survival capacity, which is associated with an activated ERK/NRF2 antioxidant signal pathway.
Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-γ as a Target and Regulator of Epigenetic Mechanisms in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: Zaiou Mohamed
Published: April 2023

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) belongs to the superfamily of nuclear receptors that control the transcription of multiple genes. Although it is found in many cells and tissues, PPARγ is mostly expressed in the liver and adipose tissue. Preclinical and clinical studies show that PPARγ targets several genes implicated in various forms of chronic liver disease, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Clinical trials are currently underway to investigate the beneficial effects of PPARγ agonists on NAFLD/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Understanding PPARγ regulators may therefore aid in unraveling the mechanisms governing the development and progression of NAFLD. Recent advances in high-throughput biology and genome sequencing have greatly facilitated the identification of epigenetic modifiers, including DNA methylation, histone modifiers, and non-coding RNAs as key factors that regulate PPARγ in NAFLD. In contrast, little is still known about the particular molecular mechanisms underlying the intricate relationships between these events. The paper that follows outlines our current understanding of the crosstalk between PPARγ and epigenetic regulators in NAFLD. Advances in this field are likely to aid in the development of early noninvasive diagnostics and future NAFLD treatment strategies based on PPARγ epigenetic circuit modification.
Progesterone: A Neuroprotective Steroid of the Intestine
Authors: Stegemann Lennart Norman , Neufeld Paula Maria , Hecking Ines , Vorgerd Matthias , Matschke Veronika , Stahlke Sarah , Theiss Carsten
Published: April 2023

The enteric nervous system (ENS) is an intrinsic network of neuronal ganglia in the intestinal tube with about 100 million neurons located in the myenteric plexus and submucosal plexus. These neurons being affected in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease, before pathological changes in the central nervous system (CNS) become detectable is currently a subject of discussion. Understanding how to protect these neurons is, therefore, particularly important. Since it has already been shown that the neurosteroid progesterone mediates neuroprotective effects in the CNS and PNS, it is now equally important to see whether progesterone has similar effects in the ENS. For this purpose, the RT-qPCR analyses of laser microdissected ENS neurons were performed, showing for the first time the expression of the different progesterone receptors (PR-A/B; mPRa, mPRb, PGRMC1) in rats at different developmental stages. This was also confirmed in ENS ganglia using immunofluorescence techniques and confocal laser scanning microscopy. To analyze the potential neuroprotective effects of progesterone in the ENS, we stressed dissociated ENS cells with rotenone to induce damage typical of Parkinson’s disease. The potential neuroprotective effects of progesterone were then analyzed in this system. Treatment of cultured ENS neurons with progesterone reduced cell death by 45%, underscoring the tremendous neuroprotective potential of progesterone in the ENS. The additional administration of the PGRMC1 antagonist AG205 abolished the observed effect, indicating the crucial role of PGRMC1 with regard to the neuroprotective effect of progesterone.
Residual Foci of DNA Damage Response Proteins in Relation to Cellular Senescence and Autophagy in X-Ray Irradiated Fibroblasts
Authors: Osipov Andrey , Chigasova Anna , Yashkina Elizaveta , Ignatov Maxim , Fedotov Yuriy , Molodtsova Daria , Vorobyeva Natalia , Osipov Andreyan N.
Published: April 2023

DNA repair (DNA damage) foci observed 24 h and later after irradiation are called “residual” in the literature. They are believed to be the repair sites for complex, potentially lethal DNA double strand breaks. However, the features of their post-radiation dose-dependent quantitative changes and their role in the processes of cell death and senescence are still insufficiently studied. For the first time in one work, a simultaneous study of the association of changes in the number of residual foci of key DNA damage response (DDR) proteins (γH2AX, pATM, 53BP1, p-p53), the proportion of caspase-3 positive, LC-3 II autophagic and SA-β-gal senescent cells was carried out 24–72 h after fibroblast irradiation with X-rays at doses of 1–10 Gy. It was shown that with an increase in time after irradiation from 24 h to 72 h, the number of residual foci and the proportion of caspase-3 positive cells decrease, while the proportion of senescent cells, on the contrary, increases. The highest number of autophagic cells was noted 48 h after irradiation. In general, the results obtained provide important information for understanding the dynamics of the development of a dose-dependent cellular response in populations of irradiated fibroblasts.
Clinical Outcomes of Daytime Versus Nighttime Laparoscopic Appendectomy in Children
Authors: Pogorelić Zenon , Janković Marendić Ivana , Čohadžić Tin , Jukić Miro
Published: April 2023

Aim of the study: To evaluate the clinical outcomes and complication rate of laparoscopic appendectomy in children operated on during the daytime versus nighttime. Methods: A total of 303 children who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy for acute appendicitis between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2022 were enrolled in this retrospective study. The patients were divided into two study groups. The first group consisted of the patients who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy during the day shift from 07:00–21:00 (n = 171), while the patients in the second group underwent laparoscopic appendectomy during the night shift from 21:00–07:00 (n = 132). The groups were compared for baseline clinical and laboratory data, treatment outcomes, and complications. The Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare continuous variables, while the Chi-square test was used to compare categorical variables. A two-sided Fisher’s exact test was used when the frequency of events in a certain cell was low. All p values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Results: The proportion of complicated appendicitis was almost the same in both patient groups (n = 63, 36.8% vs. n = 49, 37.1%, p = 0.960). Out of the total number of patients presenting during the daytime and nighttime, 11 (6.4%) and 10 (7.6%) developed a postoperative complication, respectively (p = 0.697). Additionally, rates of readmission (n = 5 (2.9%) vs. n = 2 (1.5%); p = 0.703), redo-surgery (n = 3 (1.7%) vs. n = 0; p = 0.260), conversion to open surgery (n = 0 vs. n = 1 (0.8%); p = 0.435) and length of hospital stay (n = 3 (IQR 1, 5) vs. n = 3 (IQR 2, 5); p = 0.368) did not differ significantly between daytime and nighttime appendectomies. The duration of the surgery was significantly shorter in patients presenting during the day than in those presenting at night (26 min (IQR 22, 40) vs. 37 min (31, 46); p < 0.001). Conclusions: Different shift times did not affect the treatment outcomes or complication rates for children receiving laparoscopic appendectomy.
Evaluation of Fracture Toughness of Plasma Electrolytic Oxidized Al2O3-ZrO2 Coatings Utilizing Nano-Scratch Technique
Authors: Hashemzadeh Mehri , Simchen Frank , Winter Lisa , Lampke Thomas
Published: April 2023

Al2O3 coatings, which can be produced by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) on aluminum substrates, provide an excellent protection against corrosion and wear. However, due to the brittle nature of the oxide ceramic, the fracture toughness is limited. One approach to enhance the tolerance to fracture is the incorporation of ZrO2 to form zirconia toughened alumina (ZTA). In addition to its use as a bulk material, the application as a coating material enables a broader field of application. In this study, an Al2O3-ZrO2 composite coating was applied on a 6082 aluminum alloy using an aluminate-phosphate-based electrolytic solution containing a Zr-based salt. Polarization measurement as an indicator of the passivability of a given system revealed that Zr-based salt improves the passivation of the aluminum alloy. The coatings’ characteristics were evaluated by SEM, EDS, and XRD. ZrO2 incorporated into alumina as a metastable high-temperature modification led to a thicker coating with new morphologies including lamellar and dendritic structures. Nano-indentation showed that the incorporated Zr increase the average hardness of the compact layer from 16 GPa to 18 GPa. The fracture toughness of the coatings was investigated locally with nano-scratches applied on the compact outer layer of the coatings’ cross-sections. The Zr-containing electrolytic solution resulted in a coating with significantly higher fracture toughness (6.9 MPa∙m1/2) in comparison with the Zr-free electrolytic solution (4.6 MPa∙m1/2). Therefore, it is shown, that the PEO process stabilized a high-temperature allotrope of zirconia at room temperature without the need for rare-earth dopants such as Y2O3. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the nano-scratch method is a suitable and accurate technique for the investigation of the fracture toughness of coatings with inherent cracks.
Effect of Various Metal Oxide Insulating Layers on the Magnetic Properties of Fe-Si-Cr Systems
Authors: Huang Zhenyi , Huang Huaqin , He Hao , Wu Zhaoyang , Wang Xuesong , Wang Rui
Published: April 2023

Iron-based soft magnetic composites (SMCs) are the key components of high-frequency electromagnetic systems. Selecting a suitable insulating oxide layer and ensuring the integrity and homogeneity of the heterogeneous core–shell structure of SMCs are essential for optimizing their magnetic properties. In this study, four types of SMCs—Fe-Si-Cr/ZrO2, Fe-Si-Cr/TiO2, Fe-Si-Cr/MgO, and Fe-Si-Cr/CaO—were prepared via ball milling, followed by hot-press sintering. The differences between the microscopic morphologies and magnetic fproperties of the Fe-Si-Cr/AOx SMCs prepared using four different metal oxides were investigated. ZrO2, TiO2, MgO, and CaO were successfully coated on the surface of the Fe-Si-Cr alloy powders through ball milling, forming a heterogeneous Fe-Si-Cr/AOx core–shell structure with the Fe-Si-Cr alloy powder as the core and the metal oxide as the shell. ZrO2 is relatively hard and less prone to breakage and refinement during ball milling, resulting in a lower degree of agglomeration on the surface of the composites and prevention of peeling and collapse during hot-press sintering. When ZrO2 was used as the insulation layer, the magnetic dilution effect was minimized, resulting in the highest resistivity (4.2 mΩ·cm), lowest total loss (580.8 kW/m3 for P10mt/100kHz), and lowest eddy current loss (470.0 kW/m3 for Pec 10mt/100kHz), while the permeability stabilized earlier at lower frequencies.