bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Should Peak Dose Be Used to Prescribe Spatially Fractionated Radiation Therapy?—A Review of Preclinical Studies
Authors: Fernandez-Palomo Cristian , Chang Sha , Prezado Yolanda
Published: July 2022

Spatially fractionated radiotherapy (SFRT) is characterized by the coexistence of multiple hot and cold dose subregions throughout the treatment volume. In preclinical studies using single-fraction treatment, SFRT can achieve a significantly higher therapeutic index than conventional radiotherapy (RT). Published clinical studies of SFRT followed by RT have reported promising results for bulky tumors. Several clinical trials are currently underway to further explore the clinical benefits of SFRT. However, we lack the important understanding of the correlation between dosimetric parameters and treatment response that we have in RT. In this work, we reviewed and analyzed this important correlation from previous preclinical SFRT studies. We reviewed studies prior to 2022 that treated animal-bearing tumors with minibeam radiotherapy (MBRT) or microbeam radiotherapy (MRT). Eighteen studies met our selection criteria. Increased lifespan (ILS) relative to control was used as the treatment response. The preclinical SFRT dosimetric parameters analyzed were peak dose, valley dose, average dose, beam width, and beam spacing. We found that valley dose was the dosimetric parameter with the strongest correlation with ILS (p-value < 0.01). For studies using MRT, average dose and peak dose were also significantly correlated with ILS (p-value < 0.05). This first comprehensive review of preclinical SFRT studies shows that the valley dose (rather than the peak dose) correlates best with treatment outcome (ILS).
Molecular and Immune Phenotypic Modifications during Metastatic Dissemination in Lung Carcinogenesis
Authors: Tsavlis Drosos , Katopodi Theodora , Anestakis Doxakis , Petanidis Savvas , Charalampidis Charalampos , Chatzifotiou Evmorfia , Eskitzis Panagiotis , Zarogoulidis Paul , Porpodis Konstantinos
Published: July 2022

The tumor microenvironment plays a key role in the progression of lung tumorigenesis, progression, and metastasis. Recent data reveal that disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) appear to play a key role in the development and progression of lung neoplasiaby driving immune system dysfunction and established immunosuppression, which is vital for evading the host immune response. As a consequence, in this review we will discuss the role and function of DTCs in immune cell signaling routes which trigger drug resistance and immunosuppression. We will also discuss the metabolic biology of DTCs, their dormancy, and their plasticity, which are critical for metastasis and drive lung tumor progression. Furthermore, we will consider the crosstalk between DTCs and myeloid cells in tumor-related immunosuppression. Specifically, we will investigate the molecular immune-related mechanisms in the tumor microenvironment that lead to decreased drug sensitivity and tumor relapse, along with strategies for reversing drug resistance and targeting immunosuppressive tumor networks. Deciphering these molecular mechanisms is essential for preclinical and clinical investigations in order to enhance therapeutic efficacy. Furthermore, a better understanding of these immune cell signaling pathways that drive immune surveillance, immune-driven inflammation, and tumor-related immunosuppression is necessary for future personalized therapeutic approaches.
Performance of Salivary Extracellular RNA Biomarker Panels for Gastric Cancer Differs between Distinct Populations
Authors: Kaczor-Urbanowicz Karolina Elżbieta , Saad Mustafa , Grogan Tristan R. , Li Feng , Heo You Jeong , Elashoff David , Bresalier Robert S. , Wong David T. W. , Kim Yong
Published: July 2022

Gastric cancer (GC) has the fifth highest incidence among cancers and is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death GC has predominantly a higher number of cases in certain ethnic groups such as the Korean population. GC found at an early stage is more treatable and has a higher survival rate as compared with GC found at a late stage. However, a diagnosis of GC is often delayed due to the lack of early symptoms and available screening programs in United States. Extracellular RNA (exRNA) is an emerging paradigm; exRNAs have the potential to serve as biomarkers in panels aimed at early detection of cancer. We previously reported the successful use of a panel of salivary exRNA for detecting GC in a high-prevalence Korean cohort, and that genetic changes reflected cancer-associated salivary exRNA changes. The current study is a case-control study of salivary exRNA biomarkers for detecting GC in an ethnically distinct U.S. cohort. A model constructed for the U.S. cohort combined demographic characteristics and salivary miRNA and mRNA biomarkers for GC and yielded an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of 0.78. However, the constituents of this model differed from that constructed for the Korean cohort, thus, emphasizing the importance of population-specific biomarker development and validation.
Clinical Impact of Measurable Residual Disease in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Azenkot Tali , Jonas Brian A.
Published: July 2022

Measurable residual disease (MRD) has emerged as a primary marker of risk severity and prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). There is, however, ongoing debate about MRD-based surveillance and treatment. A literature review was performed using the PubMed database with the keywords MRD or residual disease in recently published journals. Identified articles describe the prognostic value of pre-transplant MRD and suggest optimal timing and techniques to quantify MRD. Several studies address the implications of MRD on treatment selection and hematopoietic stem cell transplant, including patient candidacy, conditioning regimen, and transplant type. More prospective, randomized studies are needed to guide the application of MRD in the treatment of AML, particularly in transplant.
L1CAM Expression in Microcystic, Elongated, and Fragmented (MELF) Glands Predicts Lymph Node Involvement in Endometrial Carcinoma
Authors: Arciuolo Damiano , Travaglino Antonio , Santoro Angela , Scaglione Giulia , D’Alessandris Nicoletta , Valente Michele , Inzani Frediano , Accarino Rossella , Piermattei Alessia , Benvenuto Roberta , Raffone Antonio , Nero Camilla , Pelligra Silvia , Fanfani Francesco , Mascolo Massimo , Zannoni Gian Franco
Published: July 2022

In endometrial carcinoma, both L1CAM overexpression and microcystic, elongated and fragmented (MELF) patterns of invasion have been related to epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and metastatic spread. We aimed to assess the association between L1CAM expression, the MELF pattern, and lymph node status in endometrial carcinoma. Consecutive cases of endometrial carcinoma with MELF pattern were immunohistochemically assessed for L1CAM. Inclusion criteria were endometrioid-type, low-grade, stage T1, and known lymph node status. Uni- and multivariate logistic regression were used to assess the association of L1CAM expression with lymph node status. Fifty-eight cases were included. Most cases showed deep myometrial invasion (n = 42, 72.4%) and substantial lymphovascular space invasion (n = 34, 58.6%). All cases were p53-wild-type; 17 (29.3%) were mismatch repair-deficient. Twenty cases (34.5%) had positive nodes. No cases showed L1CAM positivity in ≥10% of the whole tumor. MELF glands expressed L1CAM at least focally in 38 cases (65.5%). L1CAM positivity in ≥10% of the MELF component was found in 24 cases (41.4%) and was the only significant predictor of lymph node involvement in both univariate (p < 0.001) and multivariate analysis (p < 0.001). In conclusion, L1CAM might be involved in the development of the MELF pattern. In uterine-confined, low-grade endometrioid carcinomas, L1CAM overexpression in MELF glands may predict lymph node involvement.
Sustainably Recycling and Upcycling of Single-Use Plastic Wastes through Heterogeneous Catalysis
Authors: Zhang Xiaoxia , Xu Shaodan , Tang Junhong , Fu Li , Karimi-Maleh Hassan
Published: July 2022

The huge amount of plastic waste has caused a series of environmental and economic problems. Depolymerization of these wastes and their conversion into desired chemicals have been regarded as a promising route for dealing with these issues, which strongly relies on catalysis for C-C and C-O bond cleavage and selective transformation. Here, we reviewed recent developments in catalysis systems for dealing with single-use plastics, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyethylene glycol terephthalate. The recycling processes of depolymerization into original monomers and conversion into other economic-incentive chemicals were systemically discussed. Rational designs of catalysts for efficient conversion were particularly highlighted. Overall, improving the tolerance of catalysts to impurities in practical plastics, reducing the economic cost during the catalytic depolymerization process, and trying to obtain gaseous hydrogen from plastic wastes are suggested as the developing trends in this field.
Biomass Photoreforming for Hydrogen Production over Hierarchical 3DOM TiO2-Au-CdS
Authors: Zhong Na , Yu Xinti , Zhao Heng , Hu Jinguang , Gates Ian D.
Published: July 2022

Photocatalytic hydrogen production is a promising route to the provision of sustainable and green energy. However, the excess addition of traditional electron donors as the sacrificial agents to consume photogenerated holes greatly reduces the feasibility of this approach for commercialization. Herein, considering the abundant hydroxyl groups in cellulose, the major component of biomass, we adopted glucose (a component unit of cellulose), cellobiose (a structure unit of cellulose) and dissolving pulp (a pretreated cellulose) as electron donors for photocatalytic hydrogen production over a TiO2-Au-CdS material. The well-designed ternary TiO2-Au-CdS possesses a hierarchical three-dimensional ordered macroporous (3DOM) structure, which not only benefits light harvesting but can also facilitate mass diffusion to boost the reaction kinetics. As expected, the fabricated photocatalyst exhibits considerable hydrogen production from glucose (645.1 μmol·h−1·g−1), while the hydrogen production rates gradually decrease with the increased complexity in structure from cellobiose (273.9 μmol·h−1·g−1) to dissolving pulp (79.7 μmol·h−1·g−1). Other gaseous components such as CO and CH4 are also produced, indicating the partial conversion of biomass during the photoreforming process. This work demonstrates the feasibility of sustainable hydrogen production from biomass by photoreforming with a rational photocatalyst design.
Tungsten Trioxide and Its TiO2 Mixed Composites for the Photocatalytic Degradation of NOx and Bacteria (Escherichia coli) Inactivation
Authors: Falletta Ermelinda , Bianchi Claudia Letizia , Morazzoni Franca , Polissi Alessandra , Di Vincenzo Flavia , Bellobono Ignazio Renato
Published: July 2022

The increased air pollution and its impact on the environment and human health in several countries have caused global concerns. Nitrogen oxides (NO2 and NO) are principally emitted from industrial activities that strongly contribute to poor air quality. Among bacteria emanated from the fecal droppings of livestock, wildlife, and humans, Escherichia coli is the most abundant, and is often associated with the health risk of water. TiO2/WO3 heterostructures represent emerging systems for photocatalytic environmental remediation. However, the results reported in the literature are conflicting, depending on several parameters. In this work, WO3 and a series of TiO2/WO3 composites were properly synthesized by an easy and fast method, abundantly characterized by several techniques, and used for NOx degradation and E. coli inactivation under visible light irradiation. We demonstrated that the photoactivity of TiO2/WO3 composites towards NO2 degradation under visible light is strongly related to the WO3 content. The best performance was obtained by a WO3 load of 20% that guarantees limited e−/h+ recombination. On the contrary, we showed that E. coli could not be degraded under visible irradiation of the TiO2/WO3 composites.
Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Secretome: A Potential Therapeutic Option for Autoimmune and Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases
Authors: Műzes Györgyi , Sipos Ferenc
Published: July 2022

Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) encompass several entities such as “classic” autoimmune disorders or immune-mediated diseases with autoinflammatory characteristics. Adult stem cells including mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are by far the most commonly used type in clinical practice. However, due to the possible side effects of MSC-based treatments, there is an increase in interest in the MSC-secretome (containing large extracellular vesicles, microvesicles, and exosomes) as an alternative therapeutic option in IMIDs. A wide spectrum of MSC-secretome-related biological activities has been proven thus far including anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and immunomodulatory properties. In comparison with MSCs, the secretome is less immunogenic but exerts similar biological actions, so it can be considered as an ideal cell-free therapeutic alternative. Additionally, since the composition of the MSC-secretome can be engineered, for a future perspective, it could also be viewed as part of a potential delivery system within nanomedicine, allowing us to specifically target dysfunctional cells or tissues. Although many encouraging results from pre-clinical studies have recently been obtained that strongly support the application of the MSC-secretome in IMIDs, human studies with MSC-secretome administration are still in their infancy. This article reviews the immunomodulatory effects of the MSC-secretome in IMIDs and provides insight into the interpretation of its beneficial biological actions.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa Alters Critical Lung Epithelial Cell Functions through Activation of ADAM17
Authors: Aljohmani Ahmad , Andres Noah Niklas , Yildiz Daniela
Published: July 2022

Severe epithelial dysfunction is one major hallmark throughout the pathophysiological progress of bacterial pneumonia. Junctional and cellular adhesion molecules (e.g., JAMA-A, ICAM-1), cytokines (e.g., TNFα), and growth factors (e.g., TGFα), controlling proper lung barrier function and leukocyte recruitment, are proteolytically cleaved and released into the extracellular space through a disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM) 17. In cell-based assays, we could show that the protein expression, maturation, and activation of ADAM17 is upregulated upon infection of lung epithelial cells with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Exotoxin A (ExoA), without any impact of infection by Streptococcus pneumoniae. The characterization of released extracellular vesicles/exosomes and the comparison to heat-inactivated bacteria revealed that this increase occurred in a cell-associated and toxin-dependent manner. Pharmacological targeting and gene silencing of ADAM17 showed that its activation during infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa was critical for the cleavage of junctional adhesion molecule A (JAM-A) and epithelial cell survival, both modulating barrier integrity, epithelial regeneration, leukocyte adhesion and transepithelial migration. Thus, site-specific targeting of ADAM17 or blockage of the activating toxins may constitute a novel anti-infective therapeutic option in Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection preventing severe epithelial and organ dysfunctions and stimulating future translational studies.
Home-Based Care for Children with Serious Illness: Ecological Framework and Research Implications
Authors: Boyden Jackelyn Y. , Hill Douglas L. , LaRagione Gwenn , Wolfe Joanne , Feudtner Chris
Published: July 2022

Care for U.S. children living with serious illness and their families at home is a complex and patchwork system. Improving home-based care for children and families requires a comprehensive, multilevel approach that accounts for and examines relationships across home environments, communities, and social contexts in which children and families live and receive care. We propose a multilevel conceptual framework, guided by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model, that conceptualizes the complex system of home-based care into five levels. Levels 1 and 2 contain patient and family characteristics. Level 3 contains factors that influence family health, well-being, and experience with care in the home. Level 4 includes the community, including community groups, schools, and providers. Level 5 includes the broader regional system of care that impacts the care of children and families across communities. Finally, care coordination and care disparities transcend levels, impacting care at each level. A multilevel ecological framework of home-based care for children with serious illness and families can be used in future multilevel research to describe and test hypotheses about aspects of this system of care, as well as to inform interventions across levels to improve patient and family outcomes.
Various Coated Barrier Membranes for Better Guided Bone Regeneration: A Review
Authors: Kim Ji-Youn , Park Jun-Beom
Published: July 2022

A good barrier membrane is one of the important factors for effective guided bone/tissue regeneration (GBR/GTR) in the case of periodontal bone defects. Several methods are being discussed to overcome and improve the shortcomings of commercially available membranes. One of the methods is to coat the membrane with bioactive materials. In this study, 41 studies related to coated membranes for GBR/GTR published in the last 5 years were reviewed. These studies reported coating the membrane with various bioactive materials through different techniques to improve osteogenesis, antimicrobial properties, and physical/mechanical properties. The reported studies have been classified and discussed based on the purpose of coating. The goal of the most actively studied research on coating or surface modification of membranes is to improve new bone formation. For this purpose, calcium phosphate, bioactive glass, polydopamine, osteoinduced drugs, chitosan, platelet-rich fibrin, enamel matrix derivatives, amelotin, hyaluronic acid, tantalum, and copper were used as membrane coating materials. The paradigm of barrier membranes is changing from only inert (or biocompatible) physical barriers to bioactive osteo-immunomodulatory for effective guided bone and tissue regeneration. However, there is a limitation that there exists only a few clinical studies on humans to date. Efforts are needed to implement the use of coated membranes from the laboratory bench to the dental chair unit. Further clinical studies are needed in the patients’ group for long-term follow-up to confirm the effect of various coating materials.
The Sustainable Future of Carbon Farming with Virginia Fanpetals, a Carbon-Negative Species
Authors: Molas Roman , Borkowska Halina , Skiba Dominika , Sawicka Barbara , Skulimowska Ewa
Published: July 2022

In 2016–2018, an experiment with Sida hermaphrodita L. Rusby (Virginia fanpetals) called Sida was conducted in the system of random blocks on sandy and sandy loam soil. Each year, the yields of dry aboveground mass and dried mass of roots were determined. Before sowing Sida and after the end of the research, the composition of earthy fractions in the soils was determined. In the stalks and roots of Sida, the percentage content was determined, and the mass of carbon was calculated. When Sida was grown in sandy soil, the average dry mass yield (stalks and roots) in the third year of cultivation (2018), was slightly above 13 t∙ha−1, and in the sandy loam soil it was three times higher (36 t∙ha−1). In the third year of cultivation, the carbon sequestration in the stems and roots exceeded 5 t∙ha−1 (sandy soil), and 15 t∙ha−1 (sandy loam). The carbon content in the stems was 46.25%, and in the roots–42.67%. The results were statistically processed using ANOVA. It was found that the cultivation of Sida caused a percent decrease in the sand fraction, an increase in the floatable (fine) fraction in sandy soil, and an increase in humus content; the opposite changes were noted in the sandy-loam soil.
MXene Film Prepared by Vacuum-Assisted Filtration: Properties and Applications
Authors: Wang Jingfeng , He Jiabei , Kan Dongxiao , Chen Kaiyun , Song Mengshan , Huo Wangtu
Published: July 2022

MXene (Ti3C2Tx) film prepared by vacuum-assisted filtration (V-MXene film) is the most common 2D MXene macroscopic assembly with ultra-high electrical conductivity, tunable interlayer space, diverse surface chemical properties, favorable mechanical properties and so on, showing great commercial value in the fields of energy storage, electromagnetic interference shielding and actuators and so on. This paper focuses on the preparation, properties and applications of V-MXene film, objectively reviews and evaluates the important research progress of V-MXene film in recent years and analyzes the main problems at present. In addition, the development direction and trend of V-MXene film in the future are prospected from the aspects of preparation, property control and application fields, which provide guidance and inspiration for the further development of functional MXene-based films and make contributions to the progress of MXene technology.
Assessment of Physicochemical, Anticancer, Antimicrobial, and Biofilm Activities of N-Doped Graphene
Authors: Alangari Abdulaziz , Aldakheel Fahad M. , Mateen Ayesha , Alqhatani Mohammed S. , Alaofi Ahmed L. , Shahid Mudassar , Ali Raisuddin , Syed Rabbani , Adil Syed Farooq , Khan Mujeeb , Kuniyil Mufsir , Shaik Mohammed Rafi
Published: July 2022

Nanomedicine has been used as a precise treatment for many diseases. The advantage of using nanodrugs is that they have more permeability and less toxicity to cells, which enhances the drug delivery system. Graphene is well known for its potential biological applications in drug, food, and pharma industries. This study aimed to assess the productivity and potentiality of nitrogen-doped graphene (NDG) and to evaluate their anticancer, antimicrobial, and biofilm inhibition activity. Nitrogen-doped graphene was synthesized by using a one-pot facile synthesis of NDG, wherein the NDG was prepared by the reduction of graphene oxide (GO) in the presence of hydrazine hydrate as a reducing agent, while ammonium hydroxide was used as a source of nitrogen on the surface of graphene. As-synthesized NDG was characterized by various characterization techniques such as UV-Vis, FT-IR, XRD, XPS, TEM, and N2 sorption studies analysis. Antimicrobial, anticancer, and biofilm inhibition assays were performed by standard protocols. N-doped graphene (NDG) showed better activity against Gram-positive bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Bacillus subtillis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Streptococcus mutans (p ≤ 0.05), whereas there was no activity against Gram-negative strains in Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Biofilm inhibition was also improved with NDG compared to the standard ampicillin. NDG showed better results in both MCF-7 and Hela cell lines with IC50 of 27.15 µg/mL and 30.85 µg/mL, respectively. In conclusion, NDG has the best ability for use as a biomolecule, and research studies focusing on proteomics, metabolomics, and in vivo studies are needed to increase the impact of NDG in the drug and pharma industry.
Property Variation of Extruded Mg-Gd Alloys by Mn Addition and Processing
Authors: Wiese Björn , Harmuth Jochen , Willumeit-Römer Regine , Bohlen Jan
Published: July 2022

This paper presents how the mechanical properties, the microstructure and the degradation rate of extruded Mn-containing Mg-Gd alloys can be modified during extrusion. Gd as a rare earth element is particularly interesting due to the influence on the texture development in Mg, and is therefore studied as a base alloy system. The contents of Gd were investigated between 2 to 9 wt.%, with Mn additions of 0.5 and 1.0 wt.%. The grain sizes and the corresponding textures were modified by varying the extrusion parameters and the alloy content. It was shown that modification with Mn can lead to further grain refinement, an increase in the degree of recrystallization, as well as a decrease in the degradation rate in the biological medium compared with the binary Mg-Gd system from previous studies. The results suggest that the resulting properties are more robust compared with the binary alloy.
Iodine Doping Implementation Effect on the Electrical Response in Metallophthalocyanines (M = Cu, Co, Zn), for Electronic and Photovoltaic Applications
Authors: Hamui Leon , Sánchez-Vergara Maria Elena , Calatayud-Valdespino Betsabé , Salcedo Roberto
Published: July 2022

We report the structural organization and its effect on the current response of the conducting domains in MPcs (M = Cu, Co, Zn) films, deposited by vacuum thermal evaporation and doped by the presence of iodine vapors. Structural and surface features of the doped metallophthalocyanines (MPcs) were studied by using IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscope (AFM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). DFT calculations were carried to study the interaction between iodine and MPcs molecules and establish the influence of iodine on the electronic behavior of these species and the changes on the frontier molecular orbitals. This interaction is thermodynamically favored, and the mechanism of electronic transit involving the iodine atoms providing electrons to the transfer. The I-MPc films have a mainly amorphous structure, some crystallinity in the MPcs α and β forms. A roughness between 18.41 and 99.02 nm and particle size between 1.35 and 15 μm. By evaluating the electrical behavior of the flexible PET/ITO/I-MPc/Ag devices, it was found that J-V curves under illuminated conditions show an increase of curves values upon the I-MPc, indicating that the flexible films are photosensible. Jsc between 1.59 × 10−5 and 2.41 × 10−7 A/cm2, conductivities between 6.17 × 10−8–2.54 × 10−7 Scm−1 and photosensibility values of up to 133%.
Estimation of Yield Function for Anisotropic Aggregate of FCC Crystallites
Authors: Zhou Lu , Min Guanhua , Zhao Tengfei , Huang Mojia , Lan Zhiwen
Published: July 2022

In this paper, we give an simple but approximate yield surface for single FCC crystals in Hill’s criterion form by Schmid’s law and nonlinear optimization theory. Assuming that all FCC crystallites in a polycrystal have the same (current) critical resolved shear stress τc for slip, we derive two closed but approximate yield functions through the orientational averaging of all FCC crystallites’ yield surfaces in the polycrystal. The effect of crystallography on the two yield functions are described by the orientation distribution function.
Intergranular Cracking in Mg-Gd-Y Alloy during Tension Test
Authors: Liu Jianhua , Sun Jie , Chen Qingqiang , Lu Laixiao
Published: July 2022

The intergranular cracking in the Mg-Gd-Y alloy was investigated by an in situ tension test combined with an electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) measurement and digital image correlation (DIC). During the tension test, the crack was found at the triangle point of the grain boundary area with profuse slip traces. DIC results show that inhomogeneous strain distribution can be found at the triangle point area, leads to serious deformation incompatibility at this point. This also leads to a weak point for crack initiation, and as tension strain increases, the crack would extend from the weak point along the grain boundary.
Effects of Growth Conditions on Phenolic Composition and Antioxidant Activity in the Medicinal Plant Ageratina petiolaris (Asteraceae)
Authors: Pérez-Ochoa Mónica L. , Vera-Guzmán Araceli M. , Mondragón-Chaparro Demetria M. , Sandoval-Torres Sadoth , Carrillo-Rodríguez José C. , Chávez-Servia José L.
Published: July 2022

Secondary metabolites, in addition to playing an essential role in the adaptation of plants to the environment and phytochemical responses in recovery processes to stress conditions, are the base material of the healing effect of medicinal plants. In this study, the effect of growth conditions and localities of origin of Ageratina petiolaris on phenolic compounds content and antioxidant activity was evaluated; the plant is used for medicinal purposes in Oaxaca, Mexico. Samples of stem and young leaves were collected from plants growing naturally (in situ) in two locations in Oaxaca and from propagules collected in situ; plants were grown ex situ to obtain a set of equivalent samples to the first sampling (in situ). In both sets of samples, total polyphenol and flavonoid contents and antioxidant activity were evaluated by spectrometry, and later the phenolic acids and flavonoids were also identified and quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD). The growth conditions of A. petiolaris significantly influenced its phenolic composition and antioxidant activity, where samples collected in situ had a higher phenolic compounds content than did plants grown ex situ. Five phenolic acids and five flavonoids were identified, eight of which had not been reported in A. petiolaris: caffeic acid, ρ-coumaric acid, robinin, rutin, luteolin-7-glucoside, apigenin-7-glucoside, rosmarinic acid and kaempferol, in terms of HPLC-DAD analysis.
COVID-19 Infection Segmentation and Severity Assessment Using a Self-Supervised Learning Approach
Authors: Song Yao , Liu Jun , Liu Xinghua , Tang Jinshan
Published: July 2022

Background: Automated segmentation of COVID-19 infection lesions and the assessment of the severity of the infections are critical in COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment. Based on a large amount of annotated data, deep learning approaches have been widely used in COVID-19 medical image analysis. However, the number of medical image samples is generally huge, and it is challenging to obtain enough annotated medical images for training a deep CNN model. Methods: To address these challenges, we propose a novel self-supervised deep learning method for automated segmentation of COVID-19 infection lesions and assessing the severity of infection, which can reduce the dependence on the annotation of the training samples. In the proposed method, first, many unlabeled data are used to pre-train an encoder-decoder model to learn rotation-dependent and rotation-invariant features. Then, a small amount of labeled data is used to fine-tune the pre-trained encoder-decoder for COVID-19 severity classification and lesion segmentation. Results: The proposed methods were tested on two public COVID-19 CT datasets and one self-built dataset. Accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score were used to measure classification performance and Dice coefficient was used to measure segmentation performance. For COVID-19 severity classification, the proposed method outperformed other unsupervised feature learning methods by about 7.16% in accuracy. For segmentation, when the amount of labeled data was 100%, the Dice value of the proposed method was 5.58% higher than that of U-Net.; in 70% of the cases, our method was 8.02% higher than U-Net; in 30% of the cases, our method was 11.88% higher than U-Net; and in 10% of the cases, our method was 16.88% higher than U-Net. Conclusions: The proposed method provides better classification and segmentation performance under limited labeled data than other methods.
Dissipative Photochemical Abiogenesis of the Purines
Authors: Hernández Claudeth , Michaelian Karo
Published: July 2022

We have proposed that the abiogenesis of life around the beginning of the Archean may have been an example of “spontaneous” microscopic dissipative structuring of UV-C pigments under the prevailing surface ultraviolet solar spectrum. The thermodynamic function of these Archean pigments (the “fundamental molecules of life”), as for the visible pigments of today, was to dissipate the incident solar light into heat. We have previously described the non-equilibrium thermodynamics and the photochemical mechanisms which may have been involved in the dissipative structuring of the purines adenine and hypoxanthine from the common precursor molecules of hydrogen cyanide and water under this UV light. In this article, we extend our analysis to include the production of the other two important purines, guanine and xanthine. The photochemical reactions are presumed to occur within a fatty acid vesicle floating on a hot (∼80 °C) neutral pH ocean surface exposed to the prevailing UV-C light. Reaction–diffusion equations are resolved under different environmental conditions. Significant amounts of adenine (∼10−5 M) and guanine (∼10−6 M) are obtained within 60 Archean days, starting from realistic concentrations of the precursors hydrogen cyanide and cyanogen (∼10−5 M).
Quantum Thermal Amplifiers with Engineered Dissipation
Authors: Mandarino Antonio
Published: July 2022

A three-terminal device, able to control the heat currents flowing through it, is known as a quantum thermal transistor whenever it amplifies two output currents as a response to the external source acting on its third terminal. Several efforts have been proposed in the direction of addressing different engineering options of the configuration of the system. Here, we adhere to the scheme in which such a device is implemented as a three-qubit system that interacts with three separate thermal baths. However, another interesting direction is how to engineer the thermal reservoirs to magnify the current amplification. Here, we derive a quantum dynamical equation for the evolution of the system to study the role of distinct dissipative thermal noises. We compare the amplification gain in different configurations and analyze the role of the correlations in a system exhibiting the thermal transistor effect, via measures borrowed from the quantum information theory.
Ultra-Low-Cost Design of Ripple Carry Adder to Design Nanoelectronics in QCA Nanotechnology
Authors: Vahabi Mohsen , Bahar Ali Newaz , Otsuki Akira , Wahid Khan A.
Published: July 2022

Due to the development of integrated circuits and the lack of responsiveness to existing technology, researchers are looking for an alternative technology. Quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) technology is one of the promising alternatives due to its higher switch speed, lower power dissipation, and higher device density. One of the most important and widely used circuits in digital logic calculations is the full adder (FA) circuit, which actually creates the problem of finding its optimal design and increasing performance. In this paper, we designed and implemented two new FA circuits in QCA technology and then implemented ripple carry adder (RCA) circuits. The proposed FAs and RCAs showed excellent performance in terms of QCA evaluation parameters, especially in cost and cost function, compared to the other reported designs. The proposed adders’ approach was 46.43% more efficient than the best-known design, and the reason for this superiority was due to the coplanar form, without crossovers and inverter gates in the designs.
Dynamic Offloading Method for Mobile Edge Computing of Internet of Vehicles Based on Multi-Vehicle Users and Multi-MEC Servers
Authors: Dang Xiaochao , Su Lin , Hao Zhanjun , Shang Xu
Published: July 2022

With the continuous development of intelligent transportation system technology, vehicle users have higher and higher requirements for low latency and high service quality of task computing. The computing offloading technology of mobile edge computing (MEC) has received extensive attention in the Internet of Vehicles (IoV) architecture. However, due to the limited resources of the MEC server, it cannot meet the task requests from multiple vehicle users simultaneously. For this reason, making correct and fast offloading decisions to provide users with a service with low latency, low energy consumption, and low cost is still a considerable challenge. Regarding the issue above, in the IoV environment where vehicle users race, this paper designs a three-layer system task offloading overhead model based on the Edge-Cloud collaboration of multiple vehicle users and multiple MEC servers. To solve the problem of minimizing the total cost of the system performing tasks, an Edge-Cloud collaborative, dynamic computation offloading method (ECDDPG) based on a deep deterministic policy gradient is designed. This method is deployed at the edge service layer to make fast offloading decisions for tasks generated by vehicle users. The simulation results show that the performance is better than the Deep Q-network (DQN) method and the Actor-Critic method regarding reward value and convergence. In the face of the change in wireless channel bandwidth and the number of vehicle users, compared with the basic method strategy, the proposed method has better performance in reducing the total computational cost, computing delay, and energy consumption. At the same time, the computational complexity of the system execution tasks is significantly reduced.
Privacy and Auditability in the Local Energy Market of an Energy Community with Homomorphic Encryption
Authors: Strepparava Davide , Rosato Federico , Nespoli Lorenzo , Medici Vasco
Published: July 2022

The world of electrical distribution is rapidly changing and is seeing more and more distributed production and steerable flexibilities. Energy communities are seen as an important innovation for the optimization of electrical consumption at a local level. A central need of the local energy markets inside energy communities is the exchange and circulation of production and consumption data, and therefore the problem of the potential leak of sensitive data must be addressed. In this paper, the context of the Lugaggia Innovation Community, a Self Consumption Community pilot project in southern Switzerland, is introduced together with the blockchain framework that was created for its internal market interaction and the rules designed for its local energy market. A cryptographic protocol from the literature, based on homomorphic encryption, is then proposed for the anonymous aggregation of production and consumption data of the individual households at a resolution of 15 min. The computational overhead associated with the protocol is then experimented and analyzed.
Recent Attempts on the Removal of H2S from Various Gas Mixtures Using Zeolites and Waste-Based Adsorbents
Authors: Abdirakhimov Mirzokhid , Al-Rashed Mohsen H. , Wójcik Janusz
Published: July 2022

Natural gas, biogas, and refinery gas all include H2S, which has adverse effects not only on the environment and human health but also on the equipment and catalysts that are employed in the relevant processes. H2S is removed from the aforementioned gases using a variety of techniques in order to fulfill the necessary sales criteria and for reasons of safety. The adsorption method stands out among various other approaches due to its straightforward operation, high level of efficiency, and low overall cost. This technique makes use of a variety of adsorbents, such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), activated carbon, and zeolites. The use of zeolite-based adsorbents is by far the most common of these various types. This is due to the specific properties of zeolite-based adsorbents, which include a high adsorption capacity, the ability to be regenerated, a high temperature stability, a diversity of types, the possibility of modification, high efficiency, and low cost. In addition, research is being done on adsorbents that are made from inexpensive raw materials in order to remove H2S. This article focuses on zeolites, zeolite modifications, and wastes as an adsorbent for the removal of H2S, all of which have been investigated fruitfully in recent years, as well as the promising applications of zeolites.
Experimental Investigation of the Steady-State Flow Field with Particle Image Velocimetry on a Nozzle Check Valve and Its Dynamic Behaviour on the Pipeline System
Authors: Chang Zhengbai , Jiang Jin
Published: July 2022

In the present work, to investigate the hydraulic losses and safe operation of nozzle check valves in industrial piping systems, the static characteristics of the valve and its dynamic behavior in the pipeline system were studied using an experimental bench with a visual DN300 nozzle check valve. Besides, basing on the PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry) technique measures the valve steady-state flow field under the different flow rates. The study has shown that as the flow rate rises, the valve disc displacement slowly increases to 44 mm, then rapidly increases to a maximum displacement of 72 mm. When the Reynolds number exceeds 5 × 105, the relationship between pressure drop and flow obeys a quadratic function. The local vortex area formed by the flow passage near the downstream deflector expands with the flow improvement. As the increase of flowrate, at low flow operating conditions, the downstream flow velocity in the local high-speed area near the valve body increases; at medium operating conditions, the area’s flow velocity decreases; at high flow work, this local high-speed area disappears. When the fluid deceleration is lower than 4 m/s2, the dynamic behavior satisfies the quadratic curve when the maximum slope is only 0.354, which shows that this nozzle check valve has a favorable response to the system.
Technological and Energetic Aspects of Multi-Component Co-Digestion of the Beverage Industry Wastes and Municipal Sewage Sludge
Authors: Szaja Aleksandra , Montusiewicz Agnieszka , Pasieczna-Patkowska Sylwia , Lebiocka Magdalena
Published: July 2022

In the present study, the co-digestion effectiveness of the selected beverage wastes and municipal sewage sludge in two- and three-component mixtures was evaluated. Orange peels and orange pulp, as well as brewery spent grain were applied as co-substrates to sewage sludge at the following doses: 1.5 and 3.0 g of orange peels, 2.5 and 5 g of orange pulp, and 1.5 g brewery spent grain. Mono-digestion of sewage sludge was used as a control. The experiments were performed under mesophilic conditions in batch reactors. As compared to the control, only in the presence of the highest dose of pulp, brewery spent grain and sewage sludge was the increased methane production of 395 mL CH4 g−1 VS accompanying an additional energy profit of 82% observed. Moreover, in this case, the enhanced volatile solids removal and lower accumulation of p-cymene were found. These results were despite the increased limonene and phenol content in the feedstock, confirming a synergistic effect at the highest dose of pulp, brewery spent grain and sewage sludge.
Implementation and Analyses of an Eco-Driving Algorithm for Different Battery Electric Powertrain Topologies Based on a Split Loss Integration Approach
Authors: Koch Alexander , Nicoletti Lorenzo , Herrmann Thomas , Lienkamp Markus
Published: July 2022

Eco-driving algorithms optimize the speed profile to reduce the energy consumption of a vehicle. This paper presents an eco-driving algorithm for battery electric powertrains that applies a split loss integration approach to incorporate the component losses. The algorithm consistently uses loss models to overcome the drawbacks of efficiency maps, which cannot represent no-load losses at zero torque. The use of loss models is crucial since the optimal solution includes gliding, during which there are no-load losses. An analysis shows, that state-of-the-art nonlinear programming algorithms cannot represent these no-load losses at zero torque with a small modeling error. To effectively compute the powertrain losses with only a small error in comparison to the measurement data, we introduce a tailored combination of nonlinear inequality constraints that interleave two polynomial fits. This approach can properly represent reality. We parameterize the algorithm and validate the vehicle model used with real-world measurement data. Furthermore, we investigate the influence of the proposed interleaved fits by comparing them to a single continuous high-order polynomial fit and to the state of the art. The algorithm is published open source.
Design of Container Ship Main Engine Waste Heat Recovery Supercritical CO2 Cycles, Optimum Cycle Selection through Thermo-Economic Optimization with Genetic Algorithm and Its Exergo-Economic and Exergo-Environmental Analysis
Authors: Vallis Athanasios G. , Zannis Theodoros C. , Hristoforou Evangelos V. , Yfantis Elias A. , Pariotis Efthimios G. , Hountalas Dimitrios T. , Katsanis John S.
Published: July 2022

In the present study, energy and exergy analyses of a simple supercritical, a split supercritical and a cascade supercritical CO2 cycle are conducted. The bottoming cycles are coupled with the main two-stroke diesel engine of a 6800 TEU container ship. An economic analysis is carried out to calculate the total capital cost of these installations. The functional parameters of these cycles are optimized to minimize the electricity production cost (EPC) using a genetic algorithm. Exergo-economic and exergo-environmental analyses are conducted to calculate the cost of the exergetic streams and various exergo-environmental parameters. A parametric analysis is performed for the optimum bottoming cycle to investigate the impact of ambient conditions on the energetic, exergetic, exergo-economic and exergo-environmental key performance indicators. The theoretical results of the integrated analysis showed that the installation and operation of a waste heat recovery optimized split supercritical CO2 cycle in a 6800 TEU container ship can generate almost 2 MW of additional electric power with a thermal efficiency of 14%, leading to high fuel and CO2 emission savings from auxiliary diesel generators and contributing to economically viable shipping decarbonization.
The Experimental Study of Pangium Edule Biodiesel in a High-Speed Diesel Generator for Biopower Electricity
Authors: Rizal Teuku Azuar , Khairil  , Mahidin  , Husin Husni , Ahmadi  , Nasution Fahrizal , Umar Hamdani
Published: July 2022

Despite the rapid development of electric vehicles, the shrinking number of fossil fuels that are the source of electricity remains conventional. The availability of energy sources and technology is sometimes naturally limited, high-priced, and might be politically circumscribed. This leads to an increased desirability of biodiesel due to its modest and economically higher energy density in comparison to batteries. The palm oil industry accounts for 23% of total deforestation in Indonesia. Contrary to palm oil, pangium edule (PE) is considered more sustainable and it intercrops with most of the forest’s vegetation while supplying biodiesel feedstock. A relatively higher pangium edule methyl ester (PEME) was delivered through PE feedstock, provided that it was processed with a heterogeneous catalyst, K2O/PKS-AC. This feedstock consumed a lower alcohol ratio and had a reasonably swift production process without sacrificing biodiesel quality. Therefore, this study aims to assess the performance of the PE biodiesel blend in a power generator. Furthermore, PEME was blended with diesel fuel in the variation of B0, B20, B30, B40, and B100. It was also tested with four-stroke single-cylinder diesel power generators to produce electricity. The B30 blend stands out in this experiment, achieving the highest engine power of 0.845 kW at a low load and dominating at a higher load with a minimum fuel consumption of 1.33 kg/h, the lowest BSFC of 0.243 kg/kWh, and second in BTE values at 21.16%. The result revealed that the main parameters, which include actual and specific fuel consumption, and the thermal efficiency of PE biodiesel performed satisfactorily. Although there was a slight decrease in the total power delivered, the overall performance was comparable to petroleum diesel.