bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Paraoxonase 1 and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Watanabe Jun , Kotani Kazuhiko , Gugliucci Alejandro
Published: November 2021

Oxidative stress is a driving factor in the pathophysiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). While paraoxonase 1 (PON1) is an antioxidant enzyme and a potential biomarker of this disease, data regarding the status of PON-1 in COPD are inconclusive. In this regard, to shed light on this issue, we performed a meta-analysis of data on PON1 activity in COPD. Electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase and CENTRAL) were searched for available studies on PON1 activity in patients with stable COPD published before October 2021. A meta-analysis was performed using random-effects models. Twelve studies (12 studies on paraoxonase and three on arylesterase) were identified. Patients with COPD had lower levels of paraoxonase activity (standard mean difference [SMD] −0.77, 95% confidence interval [CI] −1.35 to −0.18) and arylesterase activity (SMD −1.15, 95% CI −1.95 to −0.36) in comparison to healthy controls. In subgroup analyses, paraoxonase activity was lower in patients of studies as consisted of mainly non-severe COPD (SMD −1.42, 95% CI −2.04 to −0.79) and, by contrast, slightly higher in patients of studies including severe COPD (SMD 0.33, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.64) in comparison to healthy controls. Arylesterase activity showed a similar trend. Overall, PON1 activity was lower in patients with COPD, suggesting that PON1-related antioxidant defense is impaired in COPD. Future studies are warranted.
Dietary Phytoestrogens and Their Metabolites as Epigenetic Modulators with Impact on Human Health
Authors: Ionescu Victor Stefan , Popa Alexandra , Alexandru Andrei , Manole Emilia , Neagu Mihaela , Pop Sevinci
Published: November 2021

The impact of dietary phytoestrogens on human health has been a topic of continuous debate since their discovery. Nowadays, based on their presumptive beneficial effects, the amount of phytoestrogens consumed in the daily diet has increased considerably worldwide. Thus, there is a growing need for scientific data regarding their mode of action in the human body. Recently, new insights of phytoestrogens’ bioavailability and metabolism have demonstrated an inter-and intra-population heterogeneity of final metabolites’ production. In addition, the phytoestrogens may have the ability to modulate epigenetic mechanisms that control gene expression. This review highlights the complexity and particularity of the metabolism of each class of phytoestrogens, pointing out the diversity of their bioactive gut metabolites. Futhermore, it presents emerging scientific data which suggest that, among well-known genistein and resveratrol, other phytoestrogens and their gut metabolites can act as epigenetic modulators with a possible impact on human health. The interconnection of dietary phytoestrogens’ consumption with gut microbiota composition, epigenome and related preventive mechanisms is discussed. The current challenges and future perspectives in designing relevant research directions to explore the potential health benefits of dietary phytoestrogens are also explored.
Ethyl Acetate Fractions of Papaver rhoeas L. and Papaver nudicaule L. Exert Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities
Authors: Kim Hail , Han Sanghee , Song Kwangho , Lee Min Young , Park BeumJin , Ha In Jin , Lee Seok-Geun
Published: November 2021

Abnormal inflammation and oxidative stress are involved in various diseases. Papaver rhoeas L. possesses various pharmacological activities, and a previously reported analysis of the anti-inflammatory effect of P. nudicaule ethanol extracts and alkaloid profiles of the plants suggest isoquinoline alkaloids as potential pharmacologically active compounds. Here, we investigated anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fractions of P. nudicaule and P. rhoeas extracts in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. EtOAc fractions of P. nudicaule and P. rhoeas compared to their ethanol extracts showed less toxicity but more inhibitory activity against LPS-induced nitric oxide production. Moreover, EtOAc fractions lowered the LPS-induced production of proinflammatory molecules and cytokines and inhibited LPS-activated STAT3 and NF-κB, and additionally showed significant free radical scavenging activity and decreased LPS-induced reactive oxygen species and oxidized glutathione. EtOAc fractions of P. nudicaule increased the expression of HO-1, GCLC, NQO-1, and Nrf2 in LPS-stimulated cells and that of P. rhoeas enhanced NQO-1. Furthermore, metabolomic and biochemometric analyses of ethanol extracts and EtOAc fractions indicated that EtOAc fractions of P. nudicaule and P. rhoeas have potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, further suggesting that alkaloids in EtOAc fractions are potent active molecules of tested plants.
Aromatic Constituents from the Leaves of Actinidia arguta with Antioxidant and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity
Authors: Ahn Jong Hoon , Ryu Se Hwan , Lee Solip , Yeon Sang Won , Turk Ayman , Han Yoo Kyong , Lee Ki Yong , Hwang Bang Yeon , Lee Mi Kyeong
Published: November 2021

As the leaf of Actinidia arguta has shown antioxidant activity, a study was conducted to identify the active ingredients. Forty-eight compounds were isolated from the leaves of A. arguta through various chromatographic techniques. Further characterization of the structures on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR and MS data identified several aromatic compounds, including phenylpropanoid derivatives, phenolics, coumarins, flavonoids and lignans. Among them, five compounds were newly reported, naturally occurring, and named argutosides A–D (1–4), which consist of phenylpropanoid glycosides that are conjugated with a phenolic moiety, and argutoside E (5), which is a coumarin glycoside that is conjugated with a phenylpropanoid unit. The isolated compounds showed good antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity with differences in activity depending on the structures. Molecular docking analysis demonstrated the interaction between the hydroxyl and carbonyl groups of compounds 1 and 5 with α-glucosidase. Taken together, the leaves of A. arguta are rich in aromatic compounds with diverse structures. Therefore, the leaves of A. arguta and their aromatic components might be beneficial for oxidative stress and glucose-related diseases.
Antioxidant Activity of Mushroom Extracts/Polysaccharides—Their Antiviral Properties and Plausible AntiCOVID-19 Properties
Authors: Chun Sechul , Gopal Judy , Muthu Manikandan
Published: November 2021

Mushrooms have been long accomplished for their medicinal properties and bioactivity. The ancients benefitted from it, even before they knew that there was more to mushrooms than just the culinary aspect. This review addresses the benefits of mushrooms and specifically dwells on the positive attributes of mushroom polysaccharides. Compared to mushroom research, mushroom polysaccharide-based reports were observed to be significantly less frequent. This review highlights the antioxidant properties and mechanisms as well as consolidates the various antioxidant applications of mushroom polysaccharides. The biological activities of mushroom polysaccharides are also briefly discussed. The antiviral properties of mushrooms and their polysaccharides have been reviewed and presented. The lacunae in implementation of the antiviral benefits into antiCOVID-19 pursuits has been highlighted. The need for expansion and extrapolation of the knowns of mushrooms to extend into the unknown is emphasized.
UPLC-ESI-MS/MS Based Characterization of Active Flavonoids from Apocynum spp. and Anti-Bacteria Assay
Authors: Gao Gang , Liu Ning , Yu Chunming , Chen Ping , Chen Jikang , Chen Kunmei , Wang Xiaofei , Liu Bin , Zhu Aiguo
Published: November 2021

In the current study, the active flavonoids from Apocynum venetum and Apocynum hendersonii leaf were efficiently characterized using UPLC-ESI-MS/MS, and yielding the highest content of 15.35 mg/g (A. venetum) and 13.28 mg/g (A. hendersonii) respectively. The antioxidant assay in vitro showed that the isolated flavonoid ingredient groups exhibited free radical scavenging activities to DPPH, ABTS and linoleic acid. The antimicrobial assay revealed the isolated flavonoid ingredient from both A. venetum and A. hendorsonii have exerted anti-MRSA and anti-P. aeruginosa effect through disrupting cell integrity and declining ATP. In vivo assay demonstrated that these flavonoid ingredients effectively accelerated MRSA-infected and P. aeruginosa-infected Balb/c mice wound healing. In summary, these results showed that the characterized flavonoid ingredients exhibited great potential as natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agents, and shed light into future potential applications of Apocynum spp.
Role of the Redox State of Human Peroxiredoxin-5 on Its TLR4-Activating DAMP Function
Authors: Poncin Mégane A. , Van Meerbeeck Pierre , Simpson Joshua D. , Clippe André , Tyckaert François , Bouillenne Fabrice , Degand Hervé , Matagne André , Morsomme Pierre , Knoops Bernard , Alsteens David
Published: November 2021

Human peroxiredoxin-5 (PRDX5) is a unique redox-sensitive protein that plays a dual role in brain ischemia-reperfusion injury. While intracellular PRDX5 has been reported to act as a neuroprotective antioxidative enzyme by scavenging peroxides, once released extracellularly from necrotic brain cells, the protein aggravates neural cell death by inducing expression of proinflammatory cytokines in macrophages through activation of Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 (TLR2) and 4 (TLR4). Although recent evidence showed that PRDX5 was able to interact directly with TLR4, little is known regarding the role of the cysteine redox state of PRDX5 on its DAMP function. To gain insights into the role of PRDX5 redox-active cysteine residues in the TLR4-dependent proinflammatory activity of the protein, we used a recombinant human PRDX5 in the disulfide (oxidized) form and a mutant version lacking the peroxidatic cysteine, as well as chemically reduced and hyperoxidized PRDX5 proteins. We first analyzed the oxidation state and oligomerization profile by Western blot, mass spectrometry, and SEC-MALS. Using ELISA, we demonstrate that the disulfide bridge between the enzymatic cysteines is required to allow improved TLR4-dependent IL-8 secretion. Moreover, single-molecule force spectroscopy experiments revealed that TLR4 alone is not sufficient to discriminate the different PRDX5 redox forms. Finally, flow cytometry binding assays show that disulfide PRDX5 has a higher propensity to bind to the surface of living TLR4-expressing cells than the mutant protein. Taken together, these results demonstrate the importance of the redox state of PRDX5 cysteine residues on TLR4-induced inflammation.
Chemical and Biological Profile and Allergenicity of Thymus baicalensis Plant of Mongolian Origin
Authors: Narangerel Tuya , Sójka Michał , Bonikowski Radosław , Jastrząbek Konrad , Sroczyński Witold , Plucińska Aleksandra , Kunicka-Styczyńska Alina , Śmigielski Krzysztof , Majak Iwona , Bartos Adrian , Leszczyńska Joanna
Published: November 2021

Thymus baicalensis is a medicinal plant recognized as a traditional Mongolian therapeutic and health-promoting food supplement. The aim of the study was to check the suitability of the tested plant for supporting the treatment of certain diseases. The following study is the first one to showcase the versatile scope of characteristics of T. baicalensis, including its volatile oil composition, polyphenolic composition, lipid composition, phenolic and flavonoid contents, antioxidant activity, antimicrobial properties and ingestive allergenicity. Myrcene, at 26.15%, was shown to be the most abundant component of the volatile oil. Compounds known as inherent components of the Thymus genus: thymol and carvacrol made up only about 0.24% of the extracted oil. As much as 10.11 g kg−1 of polyphenol compounds were identified as derivatives of luteolin-7-O-glucuronide. The lipid extract was found to be rich in palmitic acid (31.05%), while unsaturated fatty acids were not reported. Spectrophotometric determination of the phenols and flavonoids indicated 7.541 mg of gallic acid g−1 and 4.345 mg of quercitin g−1, respectively. The free radical scavenging activity was determined by the 2,2-difenylo-1-pikrylohydrazyl method at IC50 = 206.97 µg mL−1. The extracts also had a strong inhibitory effect on M. flavus and P. fluorescenes bacteria, as well as S. cerevisiae yeasts. The Bet v 1 and profilin allergens in T. baicalensis were reported at 175.17 ng g−1 and 1.66 ng g−1, respectively.
Sex-Specific Association of Serum Anti-Oxidative Capacity and Leukocyte Telomere Length
Authors: Hassler Eva , Almer Gunter , Reishofer Gernot , Marsche Gunther , Mangge Harald , Deutschmann Hannes , Herrmann Markus , Leber Stefan , Gunzer Felix , Renner Wilfried
Published: November 2021

Telomeres are a crucial factor in the preservation of genomic integrity, and an elevated risk for diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular events is related to shortened telomeres. However, telomere deterioration could be caused by factors such as chronic oxidative stress and inflammation, which are promoted by an imbalance among reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidants. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the relationship between telomeres and oxidative stress. The serum leucocyte telomer length (LTL), serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and the total serum lipid panel of 180 healthy athletic volunteers (90 males, 90 females) were measured Additionally, a questionnaire about sports behaviour and the type of training was completed. We observed a positive significant relation between serum LTL and TAC in the male group (cc = 3.4/p = 0.001) but not in females. There was no statistically significant correlation between age and physical activity and LTL in both groups. This is the first cross sectional study demonstrating an association between total serum TAC and LTL in healthy males, but interestingly, not in the females. Nevertheless, these results should be interpreted as preliminary, and further studies in independent cohorts are needed to investigate the sex-specific effects of oxidative stress on telomere length and telomerase activity.
Effects of Remote Ischaemic Preconditioning on the Internal Thoracic Artery Nitric Oxide Synthase Isoforms in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
Authors: Jankovic Aleksandra , Zakic Tamara , Milicic Miroslav , Unic-Stojanovic Dragana , Kalezic Andjelika , Korac Aleksandra , Jovic Miomir , Korac Bato
Published: November 2021

Remote ischaemic preconditioning (RIPC) is a medical procedure that consists of repeated brief periods of transient ischaemia and reperfusion of distant organs (limbs) with the ability to provide internal organ protection from ischaemia. Even though RIPC has been successfully applied in patients with myocardial infarction during coronary revascularization (surgery/percutaneous angioplasty), the underlying molecular mechanisms are yet to be clarified. Thus, our study aimed to determine the role of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) isoforms in RIPC-induced protection (3 × 5 min of forearm ischaemia with 5 min of reperfusion) of arterial graft in patients undergoing urgent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We examined RIPC effects on specific expression and immunolocalization of three NOS isoforms — endothelial (eNOS), inducible (iNOS) and neuronal (nNOS) in patients’ internal thoracic artery (ITA) used as a graft. We found that the application of RIPC protocol leads to an increased protein expression of eNOS, which was further confirmed with strong eNOS immunopositivity, especially in the endothelium and smooth muscle cells of ITA. The same analysis of two other NOS isoforms, iNOS and nNOS, showed no significant differences between patients undergoing CABG with or without RIPC. Our results demonstrate RIPC-induced upregulation of eNOS in human ITA, pointing to its significance in achieving protective phenotype on a systemic level with important implications for graft patency.
Behavior of Non-Shear-Strengthened UHPC Beams under Flexural Loading: Influence of Reinforcement Depth
Authors: Khan Mohammad Iqbal , Fares Galal , Abbas Yassir M.
Published: November 2021

This study was carried out in order to study the flexural behavior of fiber-reinforced ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) containing hybrid microsteel straight fibers and natural fine aggregates under four-point flexural loading. The experimental results revealed that the fiber pullout mechanism had a progressive pullout (collapse) mode. A highly flexural crack developed when the fiber pulling mechanism was explicitly triggered, leading to the failure of most beams. The maximum load in beams reinforced by 1.2, 1.6, and 2.0% exceeded that in beams without longitudinal reinforcement by 56, 73, and 94%, respectively. Further, bar reinforcements at 125, 115, 95, 85, and 75 mm depths led to increases of 56, 55, 73, 96, and 94% in beam load capacity, respectively. In addition, bar reinforcement at 115, 95, 85, and 75 mm depths reduced the beams’ ductility by 40, 23, 35, and 39% compared to those with 125 mm depth. All studied UHPC beams had an uncracked phase that extended to a curvature of about 7.5 × 10−6 rad, which occurred at about 10 kNm. The use of the design of experiments was exploited in this investigation to develop a prediction model for the ultimate moment capacity of UHPC beams. This prediction model took into account the sectional and material properties of UHPC beams. To carry out this analysis, a database of 25 beams, developed by other investigators, as well as the present authors, was utilized. With a mean prediction-to-test ratio of 0.92, this prediction model had a reasonable performance capacity. In turn, this model was used to generate isoresponsive surface contours that could be used for UHPC beam design.
An Analytical Model for Almost Conformal Spherical Contact Problems: Application to Total Hip Arthroplasty with UHMWPE Liner
Authors: Heß Markus , Forsbach Fabian
Published: November 2021

Due to its high relevance for designing ball joints in mechanical engineering and (artificial) hip joints in biomechanics, the almost conformal elastic contact between a sphere and a spherical cup represents an important contact problem of current research. As no closed-form analytical solution to the problem has been found to date, full computational methods such as the finite element method are needed for analysis. However, they often require incredibly long, unacceptable calculation times, making parameter studies hardly practicable. For this reason, approximate analytical and semi-analytical models are applied, capable of predicting quantities of interest with sufficient accuracy. In the present work, a very simple model based on a radially directed Winkler foundation is presented, which provides (approximate) closed-form analytical solutions for both the pressure distribution and the dependencies between macroscopic contact quantities such as normal force and indentation depth. To ensure an optimal mapping of a specific contact problem, only the foundation modulus must be defined in a suitable way. As an example, the proposed model has been successfully adapted to adequately simulate the frictionless normal contact for hard-on-soft hip implants. For this purpose, the foundation modulus was approximated with the aid of a finite element analysis instead of adopting it from already well-established models, as the latter produce clearly erroneous results for large liner thicknesses and large Poisson’s ratios. By a comparison with extensive parameter studies of finite element simulations, it is demonstrated that the proposed model provides acceptable results for all commonly used hard-on-soft hip implants. On this basis, the influence of geometrical changes of the femoral head and the acetabular cup on the maximum pressure as well as the half-contact angle is discussed, and consequences on the wear behavior are deduced.
Reinforced Drapery Meshes: A Design Method Accounting for Retaining Ropes Contribution
Authors: Marchelli Maddalena , Giacchetti Giorgio
Published: November 2021

Reinforced drapery meshes, both secured and pinned, constitute a compelling solution for rockfall risk mitigation on rock slopes facing structures and infrastructures. They consist of steel wire mesh panels combined with a systematic anchoring pattern. In secured drapery systems, the anchors are connected to each other and to the net through ropes. The system prevents both global instability of the surficial part of the slope thanks to the anchors and local instability by confining small detached fragments in delimited mesh sections. The mesh is generally designed with mechanical resistance derived from the puncturing force–displacement behavior observed during a standardized laboratory test. Despite the fact that a codified design method has not yet been defined, the mesh is generally verified without considering the presence of the ropes. In the present work, an enhanced design method is introduced that accounts for retaining ropes, with the aim of achieving a confining effect similar to the constraints adopted in laboratory tests. In addition, the rope pattern enables the consideration of portions of mesh smaller than pinned drapery systems. In the proposed method, rope elongation is limited such that failure of the mesh near the anchor plate is prevented. The proposed design assessment reveals that the presence of ropes provides possible cost reductions in the choice of the mesh type.
Multivariable Adaptive Super-Twisting Guidance Law Based on Barrier Function
Authors: Liu Yukuan , He Guanglin , Du Yanan , Zhang Yulong , Qiao Zenghui
Published: November 2021

For tactical missiles, sliding mode control and super-twisting algorithms have been widely studied in the area of guidance law design. However, these methods require the information of the target accelerations and the target acceleration derivatives, which is always unknown in practice. In addition, guidance laws utilizing these tools always have chattering phenomena and large acceleration commands. To solve these problems, this article introduces a barrier function based super twisting controller and expands the controller to a multivariable adaptive form. Consequently, a multivariable adaptive super-twisting guidance law based on barrier function is proposed. Moreover, the stability of the guidance law is analyzed, and the effectiveness and the robustness are demonstrated by three simulation examples. Compared with previous guidance laws using sliding mode control or super-twisting algorithm, the one proposed in this paper does not require the information of target accelerations, nor target acceleration derivatives; it has smaller super-twisting gains so that has smaller acceleration commands; it can increase and decrease the gains to follow the target accelerations and maintain the sliding mode, and it does not chatter.
A Prospective, Randomised, Controlled, Split-Face Clinical Trial to Assess the Safety and the Efficacy of Cold Atmospheric Plasma in the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris
Authors: Karrer Sigrid , Berneburg Mark , Zeman Florian , Koller Michael , Müller Karolina
Published: November 2021

The increase in antibiotic resistance requires effective non-antibiotic therapies for acne. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) inactivates bacteria and improves wound healing, but its effect on acne has not been investigated. The objective of this controlled split-face study was to assess safety and efficacy of CAP in moderate acne. One side of the face received 8–10 treatments with cold helium plasma within 4–6 weeks; follow-up was two and four weeks thereafter. Acne lesions were counted, followed by global acne severity ratings. Of the 34 patients included, 29 completed the study. No serious adverse events occurred. The two facial sides did not significantly differ in the number of inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions. An interaction effect of number and type of treatment was found for inflammatory lesions. Lesion reduction after 10 treatments was significantly higher on the treated than on the untreated side. Percentage of patients reporting improved aesthetics was higher for the treated than for the untreated side after treatment completion (79% vs. 45%) and at the two- (72% vs. 45%) and four-week follow-up (79% vs. 52%). In conclusion, CAP was safe with excellent tolerability, showed moderate reduction in acne lesions and led to higher patient-based ratings of aesthetics than non-treatment.
Energy Recovery from Vinery Waste: Dust Explosion Issues
Authors: Portarapillo Maria , Danzi Enrico , Sanchirico Roberto , Marmo Luca , Di Benedetto Almerinda
Published: November 2021

The concern about global warming issues and their consequences is more relevant than ever, and the H2020 objectives promoted by the EU are oriented towards generating climate actions and sustainable development. The energy sector constitutes a difficult challenge as it plays a key role in the global warming impact. Its decarbonization is a crucial factor, and significant efforts are needed to find efficient alternatives to fossil fuels in heating/electricity generation. The biomass energy industry could have a contribution to make in the shift to renewable sources; the quest for a suitable material is basically focused on the energy amount that it stores, its availability, logistical considerations, and safety issues. This work deals with the characterization of a wine-waste dust sample, in terms of its chemical composition, fire behavior, and explosion violence. This material could be efficiently used in energy generation (via direct burning as pellets), but scarce information is present in terms of the fire and explosion hazards when it is pulverized. In the following, the material is analyzed through different techniques in order to clearly understand its ignition sensitivity and fire effects; accelerating aging treatment is also used to simulate the sample storage life and determine the ways in which this affects its flammability and likelihood of explosion.
Field Measurement Analysis and Control Measures Evaluation of Metro Vehicle Noise Caused by Rail Corrugation
Authors: Peng Hua , Yao Yufei , Cai Xiaopei , Zhong Yanglong , Sun Tianchi
Published: November 2021

The noise caused by rail corrugation seriously affects the operation quality of metro vehicles. In this work, the rail corrugation, interior noise and wheel–rail noise of a metro line were tested, and the test results were compared with those after two kinds of treatments. The results show that rail corrugation is the main cause of the abnormal interior noise. The interior noise in many sections exceeds the limit, where clear rail corrugations from 31.5~63 mm are found. When the train passes through the rail corrugation section, the interior noise shows a clear increase, and the maximum increase is higher than 25 dB(A). After increasing the lateral stiffness of the track and rail grinding, the interior noise is reduced by 11.4 dB(A). After a long renovation time, the interior noise is effectively equal to that when the renovation was completed. The research results of this work can provide a reference for rail corrugation treatment and noise control.
A Systematic Review of Federated Learning in the Healthcare Area: From the Perspective of Data Properties and Applications
Authors: Prayitno  , Shyu Chi-Ren , Putra Karisma Trinanda , Chen Hsing-Chung , Tsai Yuan-Yu , Hossain K. S. M. Tozammel , Jiang Wei , Shae Zon-Yin
Published: November 2021

Recent advances in deep learning have shown many successful stories in smart healthcare applications with data-driven insight into improving clinical institutions’ quality of care. Excellent deep learning models are heavily data-driven. The more data trained, the more robust and more generalizable the performance of the deep learning model. However, pooling the medical data into centralized storage to train a robust deep learning model faces privacy, ownership, and strict regulation challenges. Federated learning resolves the previous challenges with a shared global deep learning model using a central aggregator server. At the same time, patient data remain with the local party, maintaining data anonymity and security. In this study, first, we provide a comprehensive, up-to-date review of research employing federated learning in healthcare applications. Second, we evaluate a set of recent challenges from a data-centric perspective in federated learning, such as data partitioning characteristics, data distributions, data protection mechanisms, and benchmark datasets. Finally, we point out several potential challenges and future research directions in healthcare applications.
Investigations on Interface Shear Fatigue of Semi-Precast Slabs with Lattice Girders
Authors: Hillebrand Matthias , Schmidt Maximilian , Wieneke Katrin , Classen Martin , Hegger Josef
Published: November 2021

Due to their high cost efficiency and flexibility, semi-precast concrete slabs with lattice girders are widely used in constructions all over the world. Prefabricated concrete slabs, combined with in situ concrete topping, exhibit a quasi-monolithic structural behavior in which lattice girders serve as vertical shear reinforcement and ensure the transfer of longitudinal shear within the interface, acting in combination with concrete-to-concrete bonding mechanisms. To be applicable in industrial and bridge construction, semi-precast slabs need to have sufficient resistance against fatigue failure. To improve and expand the limits of application, theoretical and experimental investigations are conducted at the Institute of Structural Concrete (IMB), RWTH Aachen University. To investigate the fatigue behavior of lattice girders, small size tests with lattice girder diagonals were carried out. These test results have been used to derive an S–N curve (S: stress, N: number of load cycles) for lattice girders for a more refined fatigue design. Subsequently, the fatigue behavior of semi-precast slabs with lattice girders was investigated by fatigue tests on single-span slab segments. The fatigue design regulations of lattice girders according to technical approvals can generally be confirmed by this test program; however, they tend to be conservative. The use of the derived S–N curve leads to significantly improved agreement of fatigue behavior observed in tests and design expressions.
Factors Related to Early Marginal Bone Loss in Dental Implants—A Multicentre Observational Clinical Study
Authors: Di Domênico Marielle Bazzo , Farias Collares Kauê , Bergoli César Dalmolin , dos Santos Mateus Bertolini Fernandes , Corazza Pedro Henrique , Özcan Mutlu
Published: November 2021

This study evaluated the effect of clinical and patient-related factors on marginal bone loss. The sample was composed of individuals who were treated at two dental schools in southern Brazil. The variables evaluated were divided into individual (age, sex, diabetes, hypertension and antihypertensive use), and implant levels (arch, position, brand, protection, torque, time). After implant installation and following the second stage, periapical radiographs were obtained to measure the distance between the peri-implant bone crest and implant platform. Measurements were performed using ImageJ software. Data were analyzed using linear and Poisson multilevel regression. Fifty-eight patients with 113 implants were evaluated. The mean marginal bone loss was 0.45 ± 0.48 mm. Considering the linear multivariate model, age, diabetes, torque and time between surgery and reopening were found to be significant (p < 0.05). In the dichotomous model (bone loss <0.2 mm and ≥0.2 mm), only high torques resulted in higher marginal bone loss (p = 0.033). Marginal bone loss occurred before the second surgical stage and was greater in implants with high torque. Torque below 20 N, reopening performed after six months, diabetic status and young age all resulted in higher marginal bone loss, but these values are probably not clinically significant. These variables must be better explored in future studies.
Regulating Grip Forces through EMG-Controlled Protheses for Transradial Amputees
Authors: Rasines Irati , Prada Miguel , Bobrov Viacheslav , Agrawal Dhruv , Martinez Leire , Iriondo Pedro , Remazeilles Anthony , McIntyre Joseph
Published: November 2021

This study aims to evaluate different combinations of features and algorithms to be used in the control of a prosthetic hand wherein both the configuration of the fingers and the gripping forces can be controlled. This requires identifying machine learning algorithms and feature sets to detect both intended force variation and hand gestures in EMG signals recorded from upper-limb amputees. However, despite the decades of research into pattern recognition techniques, each new problem requires researchers to find a suitable classification algorithm, as there is no such thing as a universal ’best’ solution. Consideration of different techniques and data representation represents a fundamental practice in order to achieve maximally effective results. To this end, we employ a publicly-available database recorded from amputees to evaluate different combinations of features and classifiers. Analysis of data from 9 different individuals shows that both for classic features and for time-dependent power spectrum descriptors (TD-PSD) the proposed logarithmically scaled version of the current window plus previous window achieves the highest classification accuracy. Using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) as a classifier and applying a majority-voting strategy to stabilize the individual window classification, we obtain 88% accuracy with classic features and 89% with TD-PSD features.
A Novel K-Means Clustering Algorithm with a Noise Algorithm for Capturing Urban Hotspots
Authors: Ran Xiaojuan , Zhou Xiangbing , Lei Mu , Tepsan Worawit , Deng Wu
Published: November 2021

With the development of cities, urban congestion is nearly an unavoidable problem for almost every large-scale city. Road planning is an effective means to alleviate urban congestion, which is a classical non-deterministic polynomial time (NP) hard problem, and has become an important research hotspot in recent years. A K-means clustering algorithm is an iterative clustering analysis algorithm that has been regarded as an effective means to solve urban road planning problems by scholars for the past several decades; however, it is very difficult to determine the number of clusters and sensitively initialize the center cluster. In order to solve these problems, a novel K-means clustering algorithm based on a noise algorithm is developed to capture urban hotspots in this paper. The noise algorithm is employed to randomly enhance the attribution of data points and output results of clustering by adding noise judgment in order to automatically obtain the number of clusters for the given data and initialize the center cluster. Four unsupervised evaluation indexes, namely, DB, PBM, SC, and SSE, are directly used to evaluate and analyze the clustering results, and a nonparametric Wilcoxon statistical analysis method is employed to verify the distribution states and differences between clustering results. Finally, five taxi GPS datasets from Aracaju (Brazil), San Francisco (USA), Rome (Italy), Chongqing (China), and Beijing (China) are selected to test and verify the effectiveness of the proposed noise K-means clustering algorithm by comparing the algorithm with fuzzy C-means, K-means, and K-means plus approaches. The compared experiment results show that the noise algorithm can reasonably obtain the number of clusters and initialize the center cluster, and the proposed noise K-means clustering algorithm demonstrates better clustering performance and accurately obtains clustering results, as well as effectively capturing urban hotspots.
Nutritional and Health Potential of Probiotics: A Review
Authors: Ranjha Muhammad Modassar Ali Nawaz , Shafique Bakhtawar , Batool Maria , Kowalczewski Przemysław Łukasz , Shehzad Qayyum , Usman Muhammad , Manzoor Muhammad Faisal , Zahra Syeda Mahvish , Yaqub Shazia , Aadil Rana Muhammad
Published: November 2021

Several products consist of probiotics that are available in markets, and their potential uses are growing day by day, mainly because some strains of probiotics promote the health of gut microbiota, especially Furmicutes and Bacteroidetes, and may prevent certain gastrointestinal tract (GIT) problems. Some common diseases are inversely linked with the consumption of probiotics, i.e., obesity, type 2 diabetes, autism, osteoporosis, and some immunological disorders, for which the disease progression gets delayed. In addition to disease mitigating properties, these microbes also improve oral, nutritional, and intestinal health, followed by a robust defensive mechanism against particular gut pathogens, specifically by antimicrobial substances and peptides producing probiotics (AMPs). All these positive attributes of probiotics depend upon the type of microbial strains dispensed. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and Bifidobacteria are the most common microbes used, but many other microbes are available, and their use depends upon origin and health-promoting properties. This review article focuses on the most common probiotics, their health benefits, and the alleviating mechanisms against chronic kidney diseases (CKD), type 1 diabetes (T1D), type 2 diabetes (T2D), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and obesity.
A New One-Dimensional Compound Chaotic System and Its Application in High-Speed Image Encryption
Authors: Zhu Shenli , Deng Xiaoheng , Zhang Wendong , Zhu Congxu
Published: November 2021

In the edge computing and network communication environment, important image data need to be transmitted and stored securely. Under the condition of limited computing resources, it is particularly necessary to design effective and fast image encryption algorithms. One-dimensional (1D) chaotic maps provide an effective solution for real-time image encryption, but most 1D chaotic maps have only one parameter and a narrow chaotic interval, which has the disadvantage of security. In this paper, a new compound 1D chaotic map composed of a logistic map and tent map is proposed. The new system has two system parameters and an arbitrarily large chaotic parameter interval, and its chaotic signal is evenly distributed in the whole value space so it can improve the security in the application of information encryption. Furthermore, based on the new chaotic system, a fast image encryption algorithm is proposed. The algorithm takes the image row (column) as the cyclic encryption unit, and the time overhead is greatly reduced compared with the algorithm taking the pixel as the encryption unit. In addition, the mechanism of intermediate key associated with image content is introduced to improve the ability of the algorithm to resist chosen-plaintext attack and differential attack. Experiments show that the proposed image encryption algorithm has obvious speed advantages and good cryptographic performance, showing its excellent application potential in secure network communication.
Mesenchymal Stem Cell Differentiation Driven by Osteoinductive Bioactive Nanoscale Topographies
Authors: Pedrosa Catarina R. , Chanseau Christel , Labrugère Christine , Krishnamoorthy Sivashankar , Durrieu Marie-Christine
Published: November 2021

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) respond to the characteristics of their surrounding microenvironment, i.e., their extracellular matrix (ECM). The possibility of mimicking the ECM offers the opportunity to elicit specific cell behaviors. The control of surface properties of a biomaterial at the scale level of the components of the ECM has the potential to effectively modulate cell response. Ordered nanoscale silicon pillar arrays were fabricated using reverse micelles of block copolymers on full wafers, with standard deviations lower than 15%. Bioactive synthetic peptides were covalently grafted on nanoarrays to evaluate possible synergies between chemistry and topography on osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs. Functionalization with RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp) and BMP-2 (bone morphogenetic protein-2) mimetic peptides lead to an enhancement of osteogenic differentiation. Bare nanopillar arrays of reduced pitch were found to promote faster hMSC differentiation. These findings highlight the relevance of investigating possibilities of engineering in vitro systems which can be fine-tuned according to the envisaged cell response.
Modelling Regime Changes of Dunes to Upper-Stage Plane Bed in Flumes and in Rivers
Authors: Duin Olav J. M. van , Hulscher Suzanne J. M. H. , Ribberink Jan S.
Published: November 2021

In this paper we derive a new morphological model, with an extended version of the sediment transport model for the mean step length (the average distance travelled by sediment particles), in which this mean step length depends on the mean bed shear stress. This model makes the step length increase with increasing flow, in line with previous experimental results. To account for suspension and the large-scale turbulent structures in rivers, the step length also depends explicitly on water depth. This approach enabled modelling of the transition from dunes to the upper-stage plane bed. It was shown that by increasing the step length, the lag between shear stress and bed load transport rate increases, and the dunes eventually become smoother and lower, until finally the dunes wash out. The newly adopted model approach is tested successfully with a synthetic data set from the literature, where plane bed conditions are indeed reached in the model, similar to the results of a more advanced model. It is shown that with increasing discharge, the flow increases, which leads to higher step length and to the washing out of the dunes. Although the present model still overestimates the dune height for river cases, the potential of the model concept for river dune dynamics, including the transition to upper-stage plane bed, is shown. The model results indicate that, if a transition to upper-stage plane bed occurs in a realistic river scenario, a reduction of the water depth of approximately 0.5 m can occur.
Dynamic Modeling and Full-Process Simulation of the Core Engine Test Rig Main Test System
Authors: Jia Ze-Zheng , Chen Yang , Wang Ye-Jun , Sun Zhen-Qi , Huang Yu-Long
Published: November 2021

As a virtual digital model that can reflect physical entities or systems, digital twins are revolutionizing industry. The first prerequisite for the construction of digital twins is the establishment of high-precision and complex entities or system models. A 47-components numerical system is established for the core engine test rig main test system by using the finite volume modularization modeling method. A comprehensive solution to the system-level valve-spool/orifice throttling modeling, the key issue of the fluid pipeline system modeling, is presented, and the algorithms of throttling and mixing are deepened and expanded. The full-process simulation study on two tests of normal-temperature 1400 s and low-temperature 1240 s shows that the combined regulation of five regulator valves and the change of cold source directly decide dynamic change of the system in each stage; the simulation reveals the phenomena such as the gas cylinder cooling with deflation, the air cooling when expanding from main pipeline to two branch pipelines, shunting flow by branch pipeline, and the cold and hot gases mixing; the overall variation trends of the simulation curves are consistent with those of all the experimental curves of the test rig normal-temperature/low-temperature air supply lines, exhaust bypass, and engine main line in two operating conditions, and the maximum error between simulation curves and test curves of pressure, total pressure, and total temperature is less than 12%. The numerical system can be used for the construction of virtual models of digital twins, and the modeling method provides a feasible solution to the key technology of digital twins.
Postoperative Stability of Patients Undergoing Orthognathic Surgery with Orthodontic Treatment Using Clear Aligners: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Moon Chiho , Sándor George K. , Ko Edward Chengchuan , Kim Yong-Deok
Published: November 2021

Backgrond: Until now, there have been many studies on the postoperative stability of orthognathic patients treated with traditional fixed orthodontic appliances. Recently, the use of clear aligners as orthodontic appliances has increased in orthodontic treatment for aesthetic and patient convenience. The aim of this preliminary study was to investigate the stability and characteristics of patients undergoing orthognathic surgery using clear aligners. Patients and Methods: This study was performed on patients who underwent orthognathic surgery by one surgeon at Pusan National University Dental Hospital from April 2017 to August 2021. A comparative study was conducted on five patients treated with clear aligners during orthodontic treatment and ten patients treated with traditional fixed appliances as a control group. Postoperative skeletal changes and recurrence were evaluated by cone beam computed tomography and lateral cephalometric radiographs taken two days postoperatively and six months postoperatively. Several measurement variables were used to confirm the presence or absence of recurrence, preoperative and postoperative orthodontic treatment period, and the number of extracted teeth. Results: Postoperative stability for six months after surgery was not significantly different between the clear aligner group and the traditional fixed appliance group. The preoperative orthodontic treatment period was also shorter in the clear aligner group, and the number of extracted premolar teeth and impacted teeth were also fewer in the clear aligner group, but there was no significant difference. Conclusions: Orthodontic treatment using clear aligners continues to develop, and it is believed that there is no limit to what can be accomplished during orthodontic surgery accompanied by clear aligners.
Combinational Optimization of the WRF Physical Parameterization Schemes to Improve Numerical Sea Breeze Prediction Using Micro-Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Yoon Ji Won , Lim Sujeong , Park Seon Ki
Published: November 2021

This study aims to improve the performance of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model in the sea breeze circulation using the micro-Genetic Algorithm (micro-GA). We found the optimal combination of four physical parameterization schemes related to the sea breeze system, including planetary boundary layer (PBL), land surface, shortwave radiation, and longwave radiation, in the WRF model coupled with the micro-GA (WRF-μGA system). The optimization was performed with respect to surface meteorological variables (2 m temperature, 2 m relative humidity, 10 m wind speed and direction) and a vertical wind profile (wind speed and direction), simultaneously for three sea breeze cases over the northeastern coast of South Korea. The optimized set of parameterization schemes out of the WRF-μGA system includes the Mellor–Yamada–Nakanishi–Niino level-2.5 (MYNN2) for PBL, the Noah land surface model with multiple parameterization options (Noah-MP) for land surface, and the Rapid Radiative Transfer Model for GCMs (RRTMG) for both shortwave and longwave radiation. The optimized set compared with the various other sets of parameterization schemes for the sea breeze circulations showed up to 29 % for the improvement ratio in terms of the normalized RMSE considering all meteorological variables.