bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Iridoid Derivatives as Anticancer Agents: An Updated Review from 1970–2022
Authors: Ndongwe Tanaka , Witika Bwalya A. , Mncwangi Nontobeko P. , Poka Madan S. , Skosana Phumzile P. , Demana Patrick H. , Summers Beverley , Siwe-Noundou Xavier
Published: January 2023

The rise of cancer cases has coincided with the urgent need for the development of potent chemical entities and/or modification of existing commodities to improve their efficacy. Increasing evidence suggests that cancer remains one of the leading causes of death globally, with colon cancer cases alone likely to rise exponentially by 2030. The exponential rise in cancer prevalence is largely attributable to the growing change toward a sedentary lifestyle and modern diets, which include genetically modified foods. At present, the prominent treatments for cancer are chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation. Despite slowing cancer progression, these treatments are known to have devastating side effects that may deteriorate the health of the patient, thus, have a low risk–benefit ratio. In addition, many cancer drugs have low bioavailability, thereby limiting their therapeutic effects in cancer patients. Moreover, the drastic rise in the resistance of neoplastic cells to chemotherapeutic agents is rendering the use of some drugs ineffective, thereby signaling the need for more anticancer chemical entities. As a result, the use of natural derivatives as anticancer agents is gaining considerable attention. Iridoids have the potential to form conjugates with other anticancer, antidiabetic, antileishmanial, and antimalarial drugs, which synergistically have the potential to increase their effects. Published studies have identified the role of iridoids, which, if fully explored, may result in cheaper and less toxic alternative/adjuvant cancer drugs. The subject of this article is natural and synthetic iridoid derivatives and their potential therapeutic roles as anticancer agents.
Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy for Detection of Early Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer
Authors: Han Wei , Kong Rui , Wang Nan , Bao Wen , Mao Xinli , Lu Jie
Published: January 2023

Esophageal and gastric cancers are common diseases with high morbidity and mortality; thus, early detection and treatment are beneficial to improve prognosis. Confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) is a novel imaging technique that permits the histological analysis of tissues during endoscopy. CLE has been shown to uniquely affect the diagnosis of early upper gastrointestinal cancers. Relevant literature was searched using PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Despite inherent flaws, CLE can reduce tissue damage and improve diagnostic accuracy to a certain extent. CLE in combination with other imaging methods can help enhance the detection rate and avoid unnecessary biopsies in the management of esophageal or gastric cancer and precancerous lesions. CLE is of great significance in the diagnosis and surveillance of early cancers of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Further technical innovations and the standardisation of CLE will make it more responsive to the needs of routine clinical applications.
Recent Advances of Oxygen Carriers for Hydrogen Production via Chemical Looping Water-Splitting
Authors: Chang Wenxi , Hu Yue , Xu Weibin , Huang Chuande , Chen Haonan , He Jiahui , Han Yujia , Zhu Yanyan , Ma Xiaoxun , Wang Xiaodong
Published: January 2023

Hydrogen is an important green energy source and chemical raw material for various industrial processes. At present, the major technique of hydrogen production is steam methane reforming (SMR), which suffers from high energy penalties and enormous CO2 emissions. As an alternative, chemical looping water-splitting (CLWS) technology represents an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly method for hydrogen production. The key to CLWS lies in the selection of suitable oxygen carriers (OCs) that hold outstanding sintering resistance, structural reversibility, and capability to release lattice oxygen and deoxygenate the steam for hydrogen generation. Described herein are the recent advances in designing OCs, including simple metal oxides (e.g., Fe, Zn, Ce, and Ti-based metal oxides) and composite metal oxides (e.g., perovskite, spinel, and garnets), for different CLWS processes with emphasis on the crucial parameters that determine their redox performance and future challenges.
A Review on the Synthesis of Polypeptoids
Authors: Qiu Zhifeng , Zhang Min , Liu Di , Shen Xiran , Zhou Wencheng , Liu Wenqi , Lu Jianwei , Guo Li
Published: January 2023

Polyeptoids are a promising class of polypeptide mimetic biopolymers based on N-substituted glycine backbones. Because of the high designability of their side chains, polypeptoids have a wide range of applications in surface antifouling, biosensing, drug delivery, and stimuli-responsive materials. To better control the structures and properties of polypeptoids, it is necessary to understand different methods for polypeptoid synthesis. This review paper summarized and discussed the main synthesis methods of polypeptoids: the solid-phase submonomer synthesis method, ring-opening polymerization method and Ugi reaction method.
Is ATP the Only Nucleoside Triphosphate among ATP, CTP, GTP, and UTP to Have a Role in Kinase Catalysis of Heme-Regulated Inhibitor toward eIF2α during Lung Cancer Development?
Authors: Vávra Jakub , Sergunin Artur , Farná Alžběta , Ovad Tomáš , Shimizu Toru , Martínková Markéta
Published: January 2023

The heme-regulated eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) kinase, also known as heme-regulated inhibitor (HRI), detects misfolded proteins and induces cytoprotective response to stress, mainly caused by heme-shortage. The nucleoside triphosphate ATP serves as the main donor of phosphate for the phosphorylation of eIF2α by HRI in human cells. However, the other main nucleoside triphosphates (CTP, GTP, UTP) are also present at relatively high concentrations, especially in human tumor cells. Therefore, in this short communication we evaluate the role of four substrates (namely ATP, CTP, GTP, and UTP) on human HRI kinase activity. Additionally, for the first time, we perform a detailed kinetics study of the HRI G202S mutant, whose presence in the human lung is associated with cancer development. Here, the role of all four tested nucleoside triphosphates during cancer development is discussed from the point of view of the HRI activity. The results showed that the kcat value of GTP was lower than that of ATP but was significantly higher than those of CTP and UTP. Additionally, the kcat value of GTP for G202S was approximately 20% higher than that for wild-type, while the kcat values of ATP, CTP, and UTP for G202S were lower than those for wild-type.
Germ Cell Maintenance and Sustained Testosterone and Precursor Hormone Production in Human Prepubertal Testis Organ Culture with Tissues from Boys 7 Years+ under Conditions from Adult Testicular Tissue
Authors: Aden Neels Lennart , Bleeke Matthias , Kordes Uwe R. , Brunne Bianka , Holstermann Barbara , Biemann Ronald , Ceglarek Uta , Soave Armin , Salzbrunn Andrea , Schneider Stefan W. , von Kopylow Kathrein
Published: January 2023

Human prepubertal testicular tissues are rare, but organ culture conditions to develop a system for human in vitro-spermatogenesis are an essential option for fertility preservation in prepubertal boys subjected to gonadotoxic therapy. To avoid animal testing in line with the 3Rs principle, organ culture conditions initially tested on human adult testis tissue were applied to prepubertal samples (n = 3; patient ages 7, 9, and 12 years). Tissues were investigated by immunostaining and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the collected culture medium was profiled for steroid hormones by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Culture conditions proved suitable for prepubertal organ culture since SSCs and germ cell proliferation could be maintained until the end of the 3-week-culture. Leydig cells (LCs) were shown to be competent for steroid hormone production. Three additional testis tissues from boys of the same age were examined for the number of germ cells and undifferentiated spermatogonia (SPG). Using TEM micrographs, eight tissues from patients aged 1.5 to 13 years were examined, with respect to the sizes of mitochondria (MT) in undifferentiated SPG and compared with those from two adult testicular tissues. Mitochondrial sizes were shown to be comparable between adults and prepubertal boys from approximately 7 years of age, which suggests the transition of SSCs from normoxic to hypoxic metabolism at about or before this time period.
The Use of Stress Cardiovascular Imaging in Pediatric Population
Authors: Moscatelli Sara , Bianco Francesco , Cimini Andrea , Panebianco Mario , Leo Isabella , Bucciarelli-Ducci Chiara , Perrone Marco Alfonso
Published: January 2023

Although not frequent in the pediatric population, ischemia could occur in children due to several congenital and acquired disease. Stress imaging is key for the non-invasive evaluation of myocardial abnormalities and perfusion defect in this clinical setting. Moreover, beyond ischemia assessment, it can provide complementary diagnostic and prognostic information in valvular heart disease and cardiomyopathies. When performed using cardiovascular magnetic resonance, it could detect, in addition, myocardial fibrosis and infarction, increasing the diagnostic yield. Several imaging modalities are currently available for the evaluation of stress myocardial perfusion. Advances in technologies have also increased the feasibility, safety and availability of these modalities in the pediatric age group. However, despite the established role of stress imaging and its increasing use in daily clinical practice, there are currently no specific guidelines, and little data are available in the literature on this topic. The aim of this review is to summarize the most recent evidence on pediatric stress imaging and its clinical application with a focus on the advantages and limitations of each imaging modality currently available.
Protective Role of Self-Regulatory Efficacy: A Moderated Mediation Model on the Influence of Impulsivity on Cyberbullying through Moral Disengagement
Authors: Paciello Marinella , Corbelli Giuseppe , Di Pomponio Ileana , Cerniglia Luca
Published: January 2023

During online interactions, adolescents are often exposed to deviant opportunities. In this context, the capacity to regulate one’s behavior is essential to prevent cyberbullying. Among adolescents, this online aggressive behavior is a growing phenomenon, and its deleterious effects on teenagers’ mental health are well known. The present work argues the importance of self-regulatory capabilities under deviant peer pressure in preventing cyberbullying. In particular, focusing on two relevant risk factors, i.e., impulsivity and moral disengagement, we examine (1) the mediation role of moral disengagement in the process leading to cyberbullying from impulsivity; (2) the buffering effect of the perceived self-regulatory capability to resist deviant peer pressure in mitigating the effect of these impulsive and social–cognitive dimensions on cyberbullying. Moderated mediation analysis was performed on a sample of 856 adolescents; the results confirm that the perceived self-regulatory capability to resist peer pressure effectively mitigates the indirect effect of impulsivity through moral disengagement on cyberbullying. The practical implications of designing interventions to make adolescents more aware and self-regulated in their online social lives to counter cyberbullying are discussed.
Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation versus Virtual Reality on Gait for Children with Bilateral Spastic Cerebral Palsy: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Radwan Asmaa , Eltalawy Hoda A. , Abdelziem Faten Hassan , Macaluso Rebecca , O’Brien Megan K. , Jayaraman Arun
Published: January 2023

Impaired gait is a common sequela in bilateral spastic cerebral palsy. We compared the effects of two novel research interventions—transcranial direct current stimulation and virtual reality—on spatiotemporal and kinetic gait impairments in children with bilateral spastic CP. Forty participants were randomized to receive either transcranial direct current stimulation or virtual reality training. Both groups received standard-of-care gait therapy during the assigned intervention and for the subsequent 10 weeks afterward. Spatiotemporal and kinetic gait parameters were evaluated at three different times: (i) before starting the intervention, (ii) after two weeks of intervention, and (iii) 10 weeks after intervention completion. Both groups exhibited higher velocity and cadence, as well as longer stance time, step length, and stride length after intervention (p < 0.001). Only the transcranial direct current stimulation group exhibited increased maximum force and maximum peak pressure after intervention (p’s ≤ 0.001), with continued improvements in spatiotemporal parameters at follow-up. The transcranial direct current stimulation group had higher gait velocities, stride length, and step length at follow-up compared to the virtual reality group (p ≤ 0.02). These findings suggest that transcranial direct current stimulation has a broader and longer-lasting effect on gait than virtual reality training for children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy.
Highly Nonlinear Composite-Photonic Crystal Fibers with Simplified Manufacturing Process and Efficient Mid-IR Applications
Authors: Ghanbari Ashkan , Olyaee Saeed
Published: January 2023

This paper reveals special design features of the proposed highly nonlinear circular-lattice-silicon-core and silica-doped-with-fluorine (1%) cladding-composite photonic crystal fiber (PCF) in the Mid-infrared region of the spectrum. A region of small negative group velocity dispersion (GVD), managed higher order dispersions (HODs), and unique nonlinearity of silicon have been used to demonstrate a supercontinuum broadening from 1500 nm to 4700 nm with consumption of low input power of 400 W over short fiber distances. It will be also shown that the fiber’s high-level engineered structure finally results in a simple manufacturing process compared with other designed nano-sized silicon PCFs. The designed fiber could have massive potential in gas sensing, soliton effect pulse compression, spectroscopy, material processing, etc.
Low Temperature Scanning Electron Microscopy (LTSEM) Findings on the Ultrastructure of Trebouxia lynnae (Trebouxiophyceae, Lichenized Microalgae)
Authors: Bordenave César Daniel , García-Breijo Francisco , Gazquez Ayelén , Muggia Lucía , Carrasco Pedro , Barreno Eva
Published: January 2023

The lichenized green microalga Trebouxia lynnae Barreno has been recently described and is considered a model organism for studying lichen chlorobionts. Its cellular ultrastructure has already been studied in detail by light, electron, and confocal microscopy, and its nuclear, chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes have been sequenced and annotated. Here, we investigated in detail the ultrastructure of in vitro grown cultures of T. lynnae observed by Low Temperature Scanning Electron Microscopy (LTSEM) applying a protocol with minimum intervention over the biological samples. This methodology allowed for the discovery of ultrastructural features previously unseen in Trebouxiophyceae microalgae. In addition, original Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) images of T. lynnae were reinterpreted based on the new information provided by LTSEM. The nucleolar vacuole, dictyosomes, and endoplasmic reticulum were investigated and reported for the first time in T. lynnae and most likely in other Trebouxia lineages.
The First Genome from the Basal Monocot Family Has Been Misnamed: Taxonomic Identity of Acorus tatarinowii (Acoraceae), a Source of Numerous Chemical Compounds of Pharmaceutical Importance
Authors: Sokoloff Dmitry D. , Remizowa Margarita V. , Nuraliev Maxim S. , Averyanov Leonid V. , Sennikov Alexander N.
Published: January 2023

The basalmost monocot genus Acorus is well-known for its use in traditional oriental medicine. It comprises the groups of A. calamus and A. gramineus. A recent study recognized three species in the latter group, A. gramineus, A. macrospadiceus, and A. tatarinowii. The material currently known as A. tatarinowii has been extensively studied as a source of various chemical compounds and for producing the first published genome of Acorus, which is important for understanding the origin and evolution of monocots. Using the data from morphology, anatomy, and biogeography, we argue that the type material of A. tatarinowii does not match the interpretation of the species name as adopted in the current literature and herbarium collections (to a taxon of the A. gramineus group from Southeast Asia) but rather belongs to the A. calamus group. Moreover, the name A. macrospadiceus also cannot be used because it was invalidly published. Under a narrow species concept, other appropriate species names should be found or proposed for the plants currently named A. tatarinowii and A. macrospadiceus. However, we discourage the use of a narrow species concept in the A. gramineus group as insufficiently justified and suggest recognizing a single polymorphic species, A. gramineus s.l., at least until a comprehensive taxonomic revision of the group is available. Apart from the presentation of our revised taxonomic framework, we update the geographical distributions of Acorus species in Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand.
The Red Coral Community in the Messina Strait: New Findings from the 1700s Lazzaro Spallanzani Collection
Authors: Bavestrello Giorgio , Betti Federico , Canessa Martina , Bo Marzia
Published: January 2023

The precious red coral (Corallium rubrum L.) represents one of the most fascinating marine species of the Mediterranean Sea. Several samples, including red coral together with its accompanying species, were found in the zoological collection of the Italian pioneer biologist Lazzaro Spallanzani (1729–1799), collected in the Messina Strait during his voyage in Sicily (1788). The study of these samples allowed the inclusion of numerous additional species in the traditional red coral facies as the large oyster Neopycnodonte cochlear, the giant barnacle Pachylasma giganteum, the mesophotic scleractinian Caryophyllia (Caryophyllia) cyathus. These specimens proved to be very useful in describing the diversity of the paleo-community including red coral, shedding light on its formation processes. In particular, some specimens are composed of red coral rubble consolidated and cemented with other carbonatic remains Probably, these peculiar specimens have a similar origin to those of the Sciacca Banks already known from the Sicily Channel. In fact, the two areas are prone to intense seismic activity that periodically causes mass mortalities of red coral from nearby rocky reliefs and the formation of biogenic detritus, while the resulting chemical environment of the water and the sediments allows the consolidation of the carbonatic remains.
Fish Use of a Borland-Type Fish Lock in an Iberian River
Authors: Godinho Francisco N. , Pinheiro Paulo J. , Benites Liliana
Published: January 2023

Fish locks were fitted at dams to improve fish migration in Europe, but also in America and Australia. In Iberia, several dams were equipped with locks in the 1970s and 1980s, and in this study the fish use of the Borland fish lock installed in the most downstream dam in the Douro River was investigated by visualizing fish during each cycle. Moreover, a creel survey was conducted encompassing the same period to characterize the fish caught downstream. During the study, 770 lock cycles were completed, with 58,982 fish being observed in 234 cycles, mostly moving upstream. Eels (Anguilla anguilla) were the most numerous, being followed by the mugilids (Chelon ramada and Mugil cephalus). The number of fish using the lock was low from November to April, increasing from May to July, and was related to tide height, discharge at the powerplant tailrace, moon phase and time of day. Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) and shads (Alosa spp.) were caught downstream of the dam but were never found using the lock. While more research is needed to assess the fate of the eels moving upstream, management of the anadromous taxa in the Douro River must rely on the last 20 km of the river.
Multiple Pregnancy and the Risk of Postpartum Hemorrhage: Retrospective Analysis in a Tertiary Level Center of Care
Authors: di Marco Giulia , Bevilacqua Elisa , Passananti Elvira , Neri Caterina , Airoldi Chiara , Maccarrone Alessia , Ciavarro Vittoria , Lanzone Antonio , Familiari Alessandra
Published: January 2023

The aim of our study was to identify characteristics associated with postpartum hemorrhage (PPH defined as blood loss >1000 mL) in twin pregnancies in order to select patients at higher risk to be treated. This retrospective study includes multiple pregnancies between 2015 and 2020. The possible association between pregnancy characteristics and the primary endpoint (occurrence of PPH) was conducted using chi-square or Fisher exact test and Wilcoxon test. Then, univariate logistic models were performed considering as outcome the PPH, and the odds ratios with 95% CI were estimated. Finally, a multivariate logistic model was implemented, including all significant covariates. Seven hundred seven twin pregnancies giving birth beyond 32 weeks were included and of those, 120 (16.97%) had a PPH. The univariate analysis showed that factors significantly associated with PPH were: Preterm delivery, episiotomy, neonatal weight, and mode of delivery. The multivariate analysis showed that the most important factors were episiotomy and neonatal weight. The results show that the performance of episiotomy and the neonatal weight are the factors that most impact the risk of PPH in twin pregnancies. The correct identification of factors associated with PPH in twins could ideally allow to modify the clinical management and positively affect the rate of complications.
Diagnostic Ability of Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Tissue Acquisition Using 19-Gauge Fine-Needle Biopsy Needle for Abdominal Lesions
Authors: Takeshita Kotaro , Hijioka Susumu , Nagashio Yoshikuni , Maruki Yuta , Kawasaki Yuki , Maehara Kosuke , Murashima Yumi , Okada Mao , Ikeda Go , Yamada Natsumi , Takasaki Tetsuro , Agarie Daiki , Hara Hidenobu , Hagiwara Yuya , Okamoto Kohei , Yamashige Daiki , Ohba Akihiro , Kondo Shunsuke , Morizane Chigusa , Ueno Hideki , Saito Yutaka , Ohe Yuichiro , Okusaka Takuji
Published: January 2023

Attempts at performing endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition (EUS-TA) with a 19G needle are increasing because histological diagnosis and comprehensive genomic profiling are a necessity. However, the diagnostic ability of the 19G fine-needle biopsy (FNB) needle, especially the third-generation FNB needle, is unclear and has been retrospectively reviewed. The 19G TopGain needle was used in 147 patients and 160 lesions between September 2020 and December 2021. The technical success rate of the biopsies was 99.4% (159/160). The early adverse event rate was 4.1% (6/147), and moderate or severe adverse event rate occurrence was 2.0% (3/147). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the 19G TopGain needle for 157 lesions with a confirmed diagnosis were 96.7%, 100%, and 96.8%, respectively. Rescue EUS-TA using the 19G TopGain needle was performed for nine lesions, and a successful diagnosis was made in six of these lesions (66.7%). The diagnostic ability of EUS-TA using the third-generation 19G TopGain needle was favorable. However, the use of 19G FNB needles may increase adverse events. Therefore, EUS-TA with a 19G FNB needle is mainly indicated in lesions where comprehensive genomic profiling may be necessary or the diagnosis could not be determined via EUS-TA using the 22G needle.
Evaluation of He4 Use in the Diagnosis of Ovarian Cancer: First and Second Recurrence, and an Analysis of HE4 Concentration during Second- and Third-Line Chemotherapy
Authors: Chudecka-Głaz Anita , Strojna Aleksandra , Michalczyk Kaja , Wieder-Huszla Sylwia , Safranow Krzysztof , Skwirczyńska Edyta , Jurczak Anna
Published: January 2023

HE4 is a commonly used tumor marker for ovarian cancer (OC) diagnosis. In our study, we aimed to assess its use in the diagnosis of subsequent OC recurrences and to evaluate its changes during recurrence diagnosis and the subsequent lines of chemotherapy treatment. This retrospective single center study was conducted on 188 patients treated for ovarian cancer recurrence at the Department of Gynecological Surgery and Gynecological Oncology. The sensitivity and specificity of HE4 for patient survival prediction were analyzed using Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) and area under the curve (AUC) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Survival times to reach one of the endpoints (OS, PFS, TFI, PFS2, TFI2) were analyzed using Kaplan–Meier curves. Elevated HE4 levels at the time of first relapse diagnosis, and after the third and the last course of second-line chemotherapy, significantly influences the time from OC diagnosis until first disease recurrence (PFS2) (p = 0.005, p = 0.015 and p = 0.002, respectively). Additionally, elevated serum HE4 concentration at the time of OC diagnosis (p = 0.012), and its later recurrence (first (p < 0.001), and second recurrent diagnosis (p = 0.143)) significantly influences patient OS. Increased HE4 concentration at the end of chemotherapeutic treatment negatively affects overall patient survival ((p = 0.006 for second line chemotherapy and (p = 0.022) for elevated HE4 concentration after the last course of third-line chemotherapy). Our preliminary results show an encouraging diagnostic and prognostic role of HE4 in recurrent ovarian cancer. HE4 measurements at different treatment time points during the second- and third-line chemotherapy treatment seem to correlate with patient survival.
The U-Net Approaches to Evaluation of Dental Bite-Wing Radiographs: An Artificial Intelligence Study
Authors: Baydar Oğuzhan , Różyło-Kalinowska Ingrid , Futyma-Gąbka Karolina , Sağlam Hande
Published: January 2023

Bite-wing radiographs are one of the most used intraoral radiography techniques in dentistry. AI is extremely important in terms of more efficient patient care in the field of dentistry. The aim of this study was to perform a diagnostic evaluation on bite-wing radiographs with an AI model based on CNNs. In this study, 500 bite-wing radiographs in the radiography archive of Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology were used. The CranioCatch labeling program (CranioCatch, Eskisehir, Turkey) with tooth decays, crowns, pulp, restoration material, and root-filling material for five different diagnoses were made by labeling the segmentation technique. The U-Net architecture was used to develop the AI model. F1 score, sensitivity, and precision results of the study, respectively, caries 0.8818–0.8235–0.9491, crown; 0.9629–0.9285–1, pulp; 0.9631–0.9843–0.9429, with restoration material; and 0.9714–0.9622–0.9807 was obtained as 0.9722–0.9459–1 for the root filling material. This study has shown that an AI model can be used to automatically evaluate bite-wing radiographs and the results are promising. Owing to these automatically prepared charts, physicians in a clinical intense tempo will be able to work more efficiently and quickly.
Diagnostic Utility of Double-Echo Steady-State (DESS) MRI for Fracture and Bone Marrow Edema Detection in Adolescent Lumbar Spondylolysis
Authors: Kitakado Atsushi , Fukuda Takeshi , Kobayashi Jiro , Ojiri Hiroya
Published: January 2023

To evaluate the ability of double-echo steady-state (DESS) MRI to detect pars interarticularis fracture and bone marrow edema (BME) in spondylolysis, 500 lumber pars interarticularis from 50 consecutive patients (38 males and 12 females, mean age 14.2 ± 3.28 years) with spondylolysis who underwent both MRI and CT within 1 week were evaluated. All participants were young athletes who complained of lower back pain. Fractures were classified into four grades and CT was used as a reference; BME was evaluated in a binary manner and STIR was used as a reference. The diagnostic performance of fractures on DESS and T1WI, and BME on DESS was assessed by two radiologists independently. For fracture detection, DESS showed high diagnostic performance at a sensitivity of 94%, specificity of 99.5%, and accuracy of 98.8%, whereas T1WI showed lower sensitivity (70.1%). Fracture grading performed by DESS showed excellent agreement with CT grading (Kappa = 0.9). For BME, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of DESS were 96.5%, 100%, and 99.6%, respectively. The inter-rater agreement of DESS for fracture and BME was 0.8 and 0.85, respectively. However, the inter-rater agreement for fracture on T1WI was 0.52. DESS had high diagnostic performance for fracture and BME in pars interarticularis. In conclusion, DESS had potential to detect all critical imaging findings in spondylolysis and may replace the role of CT.
Use of Envelope Domain III Protein for the Detection of IgG Type Antibodies Specific to Zika Virus by Indirect ELISA
Authors: Ndiaye Oumar , Diagne Cheikh Tidiane , Abd El Wahed Ahmed , Dia Fatou , Dia Moussa , Faye Adama , Leal Silvania Da Veiga , dos Santos Menilita , Lima Mendonça Maria da Luz de , da Silva Leite Carolina Cardoso , Bouh Boye Cheikh Saad , Bryant Juliet E. , Desprès Philippe , Faye Ousmane , Sall Amadou Alpha , Faye Oumar
Published: January 2023

Zika virus (ZIKV) diagnostics are crucial for proper antenatal and postnatal care and also for surveillance and serosurvey studies. Since the viremia during ZIKV infection is fleeting, serological testing is highly valuable to inform diagnosis. However, current serology tests using whole virus antigens frequently suffer from cross reactivity issues, delays, and technical complexity, especially in low and middle income countries (LMICs) and endemic countries. Here, we describe an indirect ELISA to detect specific IgG antibodies using the ZIKV envelope domain III (EDIII) protein expressed in Drosophila S2 cells as an immunogen. Using a total of 367 clinical samples, we showed that the EDIII-ELISA was able to detect IgG antibodies against ZIKV with high sensitivity of 100.0% and specificity of 94.7% when compared to plaque reduction neutralization tests (PRNTs) as the gold standard and using 0.208 as the cut-off OD value. These results show the usefulness of the recombinant envelope domain III as an alternative to standard whole virus proteins for ZIKV diagnostics as it improves the sensitivity and specificity of IgG ELISA assay when used as an immunogen. This method should, therefore, be extended to serological diagnostic techniques for other members of the flavivirus genus and for use in IgM diagnostic testing.
Influence of Information Blocking on the Spread of Virus in Multilayer Networks
Authors: Wątroba Paulina , Bródka Piotr
Published: January 2023

In this paper, we present the model of the interaction between the spread of disease and the spread of information about the disease in multilayer networks. Next, based on the characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic, we evaluated the influence of information blocking on the virus spread. Our results show that blocking the spread of information affects the speed at which the epidemic peak appears in our society, and affects the number of infected individuals.
Hira Makes a Sound: Sustaining High-Impact AANAPISI Innovation in an Asian American Studies Environment before and beyond the COVID-19 Anti-Asian Hate Pandemic
Authors: Kiang Peter Nien-chu , Tang Shirley Suet-ling , Ty Kim Soun , Gurung Parmita , Ty Ammany , Duong Nia
Published: January 2023

This article first describes two high-impact, foundational examples in Asian American Studies over three decades that successfully established and sustained inclusive and equitable educational environments at an urban, public, and federally designated Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Institution (AANAPISI) research university. Secondly, the article introduces the purpose, process, and product of a fresh programmatic example of cross-generational, community-centered storytelling initiated during the contemporary dual-pandemic period of COVID-19 and anti-Asian hate. Through these examples, we argue that AANAPISIs with longstanding Asian American Studies curricular and pedagogical commitments to transformative educational praxis can offer especially valuable insights for U.S. higher education precisely because the purposeful, strategic attention to developing equitable, inclusive learning environments is so well-developed. Within our own context, we specifically highlight the impacts and importance of developing long-term ecologies to support culturally sustaining curricula and storytelling co-production processes led by core faculty with students and alumni. These examples are particularly salient for under-resourced, predominantly commuter institutions where student engagement with faculty and peers in classroom environments is so vital.
An Intelligent Cluster-Based Communication System for Multi-Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Searching and Rescuing
Authors: Mehmood Amjad , Iqbal Zeeshan , Shah Arqam Ali , Maple Carsten , Lloret Jaime
Published: January 2023

It has been observed that the use of UAVs in search and rescue (SAR) operations is very advantageous. When, all of a sudden, a crisis strikes, UAV technology is incredibly helpful and works more effectively to identify the entire region of a disaster and identify victims trapped in the region. The deployment of a UAV network with a high battery lifespan and complete coverage of the disaster region is the primary emphasis of this article. For the efficient communication of UAVS, we suggested the intelligent cluster-based multi-unmanned aerial vehicle (ICBM-UAV) protocol. In order to discover victims swiftly and rescue those who are trapped in the afflicted region as soon as possible, ICBM-UAV uses the clustering technique smartly, which helps conserve drone batteries and performs some of the useful computations within the CH and hence helps to lessen workload on network congestion. Dividing the CMBM-UAV into two parts, the information gathering and the user equipment location identification, improves network life and makes the search and rescue operation more efficient and successful. After going to through vigorous result calculation, it is deduced that the proposed scheme has outperformed the existing state-of-the-art protocols such as AODV, OSLR and flocking mechanisms in terms of throughput, PDR, and coverage area probability by considering each scenario with and without the presence of obstacles. Hence, by delivering an exploitable estimate before reaching the victim, the proposed approach could drastically minimize the search and rescue time to save valuable lives.
Siamese Neural Pointnet: 3D Face Verification under Pose Interference and Partial Occlusion
Authors: Wang Qi , Qian Wei-Zhong , Lei Hang , Chen Lu
Published: January 2023

Face verification based on ordinary 2D RGB images has been widely used in daily life. However, the quality of ordinary 2D RGB images is limited by illumination, and they lack stereoscopic features, which makes it difficult to apply them in poor lighting conditions and means they are susceptible to interference from head pose and partial occlusions. Considering point clouds are not affected by illumination and can easily represent geometric information, this paper constructs a novel Siamese network for 3D face verification based on Pointnet. In order to reduce the influence of the self-generated point clouds, the chamfer distance is adopted to constrain the original point clouds and explore a new energy function to distinguish features. The experimental results with the Pandora and Curtin Faces datasets show that the accuracy of the proposed method is improved by 0.6% compared with the latest methods; in large pose interference and partial occlusion, the accuracy is improved by 4% and 5%. The results verify that our method outperforms the latest methods and can be applied to a variety of complex scenarios while maintaining real-time performance.
A Dual Forward–Backward Algorithm to Solve Convex Model Predictive Control for Obstacle Avoidance in a Logistics Scenario
Authors: Ludovico Daniele , Guardiani Paolo , Pistone Alessandro , De Mari Casareto Dal Verme Lorenzo , Caldwell Darwin G. , Canali Carlo
Published: January 2023

In recent years, the logistics sector expanded significantly, leading to the birth of smart warehouses. In this context, a key role is represented by autonomous mobile robots, whose main challenge is to find collision-free paths in their working environment in real-time. Model Predictive Control Algorithms combined with global path planners, such as the A* algorithm, show great potential in providing efficient navigation for collision avoidance problems. This paper proposes a Dual Forward–Backward Algorithm to find the solution to a Model Predictive Control problem in which the task of driving a mobile robotic platform into a bi-dimensional semi-structured environment is formulated in a convex optimisation framework.
Dual-Channel Edge-Featured Graph Attention Networks for Aspect-Based Sentiment Analysis
Authors: Lu Junwen , Shi Lihui , Liu Guanfeng , Zhan Xinrong
Published: January 2023

The goal of aspect-based sentiment analysis (ABSA) is to identify the sentiment polarity of specific aspects in a context. Recently, graph neural networks have employed dependent tree syntactic information to assess the link between aspects and contextual words; nevertheless, most of this research has neglected phrases that are insensitive to syntactic analysis and the effect between various aspects in a sentence. In this paper, we propose a dual-channel edge-featured graph attention networks model (AS-EGAT), which builds an aspect syntactic graph by enhancing the contextual syntactic dependency representation of key aspect words and the mutual affective relationship between various aspects in the context and builds a semantic graph through the self-attention mechanism. We use the edge features as a significant factor to determine the weight coefficient of the attention mechanism to efficiently mine the edge features of the graph attention networks model (GAT). As a result, the model can connect important sentiment features of related aspects when dealing with aspects that lack obvious sentiment expressions, pay close attention to important word aspects when dealing with multiple-word aspects, and extract sentiment features from sentences that are not sensitive to syntactic dependency trees by looking at semantic features. Experimental results show that our proposed AS-EGAT model is superior to the current state-of-the-art baselines. Compared with the baseline models of LAP14, REST15, REST16, MAMS, T-shirt, and Television datasets, the accuracy of our AS-EGAT model increased by 0.76%, 0.29%, 0.05%, 0.15%, 0.22%, and 0.38%, respectively. The macro-f1 score increased by 1.16%, 1.16%, 1.23%, 0.37%, 0.53%, and 1.93% respectively.
Noise Spectroscopy: A Tool to Understand the Physics of Solar Cells
Authors: Landi Giovanni , Pagano Sergio , Neitzert Heinz Christoph , Mauro Costantino , Barone Carlo
Published: January 2023

Noise spectroscopy is essentially focused on the investigation of electric fluctuations produced by physical mechanisms intrinsic to conductor materials. Very complex electrical transport phenomena can be interpreted through the study of the fluctuation properties, which provide interesting information both from the point of view of basic research and of applications. In this respect, low-frequency electric noise analysis was proposed more than twenty years ago to determine the quality of solar cells and photovoltaic modules, and, more recently, for the reliability estimation of heterojunction solar cells. This spectroscopic tool is able to unravel specific aspects related to radiation damage. Moreover, it can be used for a detailed temperature-dependent electrical characterization of the charge carrier capture/emission and recombination kinetics. This gives the possibility to directly evaluate the system health state. Real-time monitoring of the intrinsic noise response is also very important for the identification of the microscopic sources of fluctuations and their dynamic processes. This allows for identifying possible strategies to improve efficiency and performance, especially for emerging photovoltaic devices. In this work are the reported results of detailed electrical transport and noise characterizations referring to three different types of solar cells (silicon-based, organic, and perovskite-based) and they are interpreted in terms of specific physical models.
Opportunities in the Sustainable Built Environment: Perspectives on Human-Centric Approaches
Authors: Goh Cheng Siew , Chong Heap-Yih
Published: January 2023

Climate change and natural disasters have brought threats to humanity greater than ever. The built environment is a critical part of the climate action plan in terms of its resilience and sustainability. The growing awareness of sustainability in the built environment has led to the increased uptake of sustainable buildings and infrastructure projects. However, a growing number of studies reported some forms of performance gaps in achieving sustainability, in which the actual outcomes and performance of buildings were far from the expected goals. Researchers started to question the alleged benefits of the sustainable built environment. Apart from being overoptimistic in setting the environmental goals, some studies suggested that the gaps could arise from a negligence of the interplay between humans and the environment for delivering the sustainability goals. Hence, this paper intends to highlight opportunities in optimizing sustainability performance in the built environment via human-centric approaches. By placing human needs at the focal point, human-centric solutions would empower stakeholders to harness sustainable goals in the built environment effectively. A conceptual framework has been proposed to consolidate the findings and highlight human-centric solutions in between research gaps and opportunities in sustainable built environment research.
Resource and Energy Saving Control of the Steelmaking Converter Process, Taking into Account Waste Recycling
Authors: Chistyakova Tamara , Novozhilova Inna , Kozlov Vladimir , Shevchik Andrey
Published: January 2023

With the development of the energy control system of iron and steel enterprises, the urgency of solving the problem of the resource and energy saving control of steelmaking processes increases, taking into account the reconfiguration of production to a new task, intensification of the processes of recycling of raw materials, as well as reducing the waste intensity of production. The way to solve the problem of resource and energy saving of steelmaking production is the creation of a computer system. It allows one to analyze the state of the refractory converter lining, calculation of the material and thermal balances, the amount of slag-forming materials, the quantitative characteristics of slag corrosion, as well as predict the phase and chemical composition of the slag in order to impart the properties necessary in the production of mineral binders and other building materials. The computer system allows one to identify complex fuzzy relationships between process parameters and issue recommendations on the resource and energy saving control of the converter process, taking into account the waste recycling. The testing of the computer system, according to the industrial data of the enterprises CherMF (PJSC Severstal) and PJSC NLMF, confirmed its operability and the possibility of its use at iron and steel enterprises.
Heat Transfer of Water Flow Boiling in Nanostructured Open Microchannels
Authors: Yin Liaofei , Yang Zhonglin , Zhang Kexin , Xue Yingli , Dang Chao
Published: January 2023

In recent years, the open microchannel has drawn increasing interest, but severe local dryout limited the heat transfer capability of flow boiling. It was anticipated that nanostructures with exceptional capillary wicking abilities would overcome this problem. In this study, blade-like CuO nanostructures were created in the copper open microchannels to experimentally investigate water flow boiling. Experiments were carried out in nanostructured open microchannels (NMCs), and smooth-surface open microchannels (SMCs), as a comparison, were examined under identical operating conditions. Four main flow patterns, including bubbly flow, slug flow, and two kinds of stratified flow, dominated successively in NMCs and SMCs. Although the flow patterns were similar in NMCs and SMCs, the heat transfer coefficient (HTC) of flow boiling was greatly enhanced by nanostructures under conditions of medium and high heat flux, while the nanostructures’ influence on HTC was unnoticeable at low heat flux. At medium and high heat fluxes, the dependence of HTC on heat flux and flow rate indicated the joint contribution of nucleate boiling mechanism and convective evaporation mechanism to heat transfer. The enhanced effect of nanostructures on nucleate boiling and convective evaporation became more prominent as heat flux increased, leading to a higher HTC in NMCs than in SMCs at higher heat flux conditions.
A Numerical Study on the Characteristics of the Pressurized Water Reactor’s (PWR) Primary Moisture Separator Using the Particle Tracking Method
Authors: Zhao Hongwu , Jeon Jun-Ho , Yu Dong-In , Lee Yeon-Won
Published: January 2023

The primary moisture separator—a key component in the PWR nuclear power plant—determines the quality of supplied steam to a turbine. Investigating its characteristics is important because supplying steam with excessive droplet entrainment results in damages to pipes, valves, and turbines in power plant circuits. In this numerical study, the particle tracking method in the Eulerian–Lagrangian methodology is used to investigate the characteristics of a primary moisture separator. Various swirl vanes with different bending angles, vane quantities, and vane locations are chosen to investigate the effect of design parameters on characteristics of the primary moisture separator. Additionally, the water droplet size is considered to vary from 0.01 to 50 μm in this study. The pressure drop between the inlet and outlet, the steam quality at the orifice outlet, and the particle collection ratio are discussed in this paper. The results show that steam quality increases as the bending angle decreases, and increasing the number of swirl vanes increases both the pressure drop and the steam quality.
Strategies on Visual Display Terminal Lighting in Office Space under Energy-Saving Environment
Authors: Lin Yusen , Chen Cheng-Chen , Ashraf Gandomi Yasser
Published: January 2023

In this work, we have studied how the vertical illuminance of the human eye position, illuminance of the horizontal work surface, and the brightness of the computer screen in the office space lighting are correlated under an energy-saving environment. This investigation was conducted in a full-scale laboratory that simulates an office space with 20 adults. It was found that when the indoor ambient lighting illuminance changes, the vertical illuminance of the subject’s eye position is affected accordingly, and the two factors are strongly correlated. On the other hand, when the surrounding environment is brighter and the vertical illuminance increases, the illuminance of the horizontal working surface adjusted by the subject during the visual display terminal (VDT) operation is significantly reduced. The horizontal illuminance value can even be lower than the value frequently employed in various countries around the world, since the computer screen brightness will be adjusted accordingly. Therefore, in an energy-saving environment, the illuminance of the horizontal working surface and the brightness of the computer screen adjusted by the users will vary with the ambient lighting. Especially in the current mainstream VDT operating environment and within a certain range of conditions, the interior setting can be lower than the current horizontal illuminance benchmark for additional energy conservation.