bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
I Explain, You Collaborate, He Cheats: An Empirical Study with Social Network Analysis of Study Groups in a Computer Programming Subject
Authors: Barros Beatriz , Conejo Ricardo , Ruiz-Sepulveda Amparo , Triguero-Ruiz Francisco
Published: October 2021

Students interact with each other in order to solve computer science programming assignments. Group work is encouraged because it has been proven to be beneficial to the learning process. However, sometimes, collaboration might be confused with dishonest behaviours. This article aimed to quantitatively discern between both cases. We collected code similarity measures from students over four academic years and analysed them using statistical and social network analyses. Three studies were carried out: an analysis of the knowledge flow to identify dishonest behaviour, an analysis of the structure of the social organisation of study groups and an assessment of the relationship between successful students and social behaviour. Continuous dishonest behaviour in students is not as alarming as many studies suggest, probably due to the strict control, automatic plagiarism detection and high penalties for unethical behaviour. The boundary between both is given by the amount of similar content and regularity along the course. Three types of study groups were identified. We also found that the best performing groups were not made up of the best individual students but of students with different levels of knowledge and stronger relationships. The best students were usually the central nodes of those groups.
City Information Modeling: State of the Art
Authors: Xu Zhen , Qi Mingzhu , Wu Yingying , Hao Xintian , Yang Yajun
Published: October 2021

The concept of city information modeling (CIM) has become increasingly popular in recent years. A literature review of previous CIM studies is presented in this paper. First, a bibliometric analysis of the current global CIM research is described, revealing that CIM has become a significant research hotspot. Next, three main research areas of the current CIM technique, namely data collection, integration, and visualization, are summarized to describe the characteristics of CIM research. Furthermore, some widely used CIM platforms are compared, and typical application cases of the CIM technique at different stages of the city life cycle are summarized. Finally, the current issues in CIM research are discussed, and future development directions are proposed. The findings of this study are expected to help researchers understand the current state of CIM and identify future development directions, thereby promoting CIM research development.
Yb-ASE Suppression in Single-Frequency Hybrid Double Cladding Erbium–Ytterbium Co-Doped Fiber Amplifier with SMS Structure
Authors: Bai Xiaolei , Wang Meng , Yang Yuxing , Lv Zhiguo , Jia Weiguo
Published: October 2021

A hybrid double cladding erbium–ytterbium co-doped fiber (EYDF) amplifier with a single-mode-multimode-single-mode (SMS) active fiber is demonstrated in this study. The hybrid gain fiber with an SMS structure is composed of two kinds of EYDFs with 6 and 12 μm core diameters. The transmission spectra of the SMS fiber structure were theoretically analyzed and the simulation results indicated that the maximum loss in the 1~1.1 μm band where the Yb-band amplified spontaneous emission (Yb-ASE) located, was much larger than that of the 1.5-μm band because of the wavelength difference. The power performance and spectra properties of the hybrid fiber amplifier were theoretically and experimentally analyzed and compared with a typical uniform fiber amplifier under the same conditions. The experimental results demonstrated that this hybrid fiber amplifier can suppress the Yb-ASE by over 12 dB and increase the slope efficiency by more than 2%, but the ASE in the 1.5-μm band increases by 2~3 dB. This work provides a possible method to enable EYDF amplifiers to suppress the Yb-ASE and overcome the pump bottleneck effect.
Method for Accuracy Assessment of the Length Measurement Unit of Laser Tracking Systems
Authors: Gruza Maciej , Gąska Adam , Sładek Jerzy A. , Stojadinovic Slavenko M. , Majstorovic Vidosav D. , Gąska Piotr , Harmatys Wiktor
Published: October 2021

Laser tracking systems are widely used in large-scale metrology of geometric quantities. Their importance is confirmed by the fact that one of the parts of the ISO 10360 series of standards has been devoted to the issue of assessing their accuracy (ISO 10360-10). A laser tracker is a device whose final measurement result is calculated using indications from various subsystems included in it, such as devices for measuring length and angle. The analysis of these individual impacts can be useful in creating simulation models of accuracy which, in regard to the Industry 4.0 concept, seem to be the most justified in terms of speed of operation and ease of use. For this reason, it may be particularly important to undertake research on the accuracy of this component in isolation from other factors affecting the measurement of the coordinates of the point. The article describes a method that allows separation of the length measurement error from the other components. The method uses a high-accuracy interferometer which is treated as a reference system that allows for the comparison of indications obtained using the tested distance measurement system. Thanks to the proposed method, it is possible to minimize errors from the optical system and other measuring systems. The use of a precise linear guide allows the reduction of errors related to the implementation of linear motion. The article presents the test method and the results obtained from performed experiments, as well as formulates conclusions and the directions of further development.
Polysorbate-Based Drug Formulations for Brain-Targeted Drug Delivery and Anticancer Therapy
Authors: Ravichandran Vasanthan , Lee Minjong , Nguyen Cao Thuy Giang , Shim Min Suk
Published: October 2021

Polysorbates (PSs) are synthetic nonionic surfactants consisting of polyethoxy sorbitan fatty acid esters. PSs have been widely employed as emulsifiers and stabilizers in various drug formulations and food additives. Recently, various PS-based formulations have been developed for safe and efficient drug delivery. This review introduces the general features of PSs and PS-based drug carriers, summarizes recent progress in the development of PS-based drug formulations, and discusses the physicochemical properties, biological safety, P-glycoprotein inhibitory properties, and therapeutic applications of PS-based drug formulations. Additionally, recent advances in brain-targeted drug delivery using PS-based drug formulations have been highlighted. This review will help researchers understand the potential of PSs as effective drug formulation agents.
Aquaphotomics Reveals Subtle Differences between Natural Mineral, Processed and Aged Water Using Temperature Perturbation Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Kato Yasuhiro , Munćan Jelena , Tsenkova Roumiana , Kojić Dušan , Yasui Masato , Fan Jing-Yu , Han Jing-Yan
Published: October 2021

Current approaches to the quality control of water are unsatisfying due to either a high cost or the inability to capture all of the relevant information. In this study, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) with aquaphotomics as a novel approach was assessed for the discrimination of natural, processed and aged water samples. Temperature perturbation of water samples was employed to probe the aqueous systems and reveal the hidden information. A radar chart named an aquagram was used to visualize and compare the absorbance spectral patterns of waters at different temperatures. For the spectra acquired at a constant temperature of 30 °C, the discrimination analysis of different water samples failed to produce satisfying results. However, under perturbation by increasing the temperature from 35 to 60 °C, the absorbance spectral pattern of different waters displayed in aquagrams revealed different, water-specific dynamics. Moreover, it was found that aged processed water changed with the temperature, whereas the same processed water, when freshly prepared, had hydrogen bonded structures unperturbed by temperature. In summary, the aquaphotomics approach to the NIRS analysis showed that the water absorbance spectral pattern can be used to describe the character and monitor dynamics of each water sample as a complex molecular system, whose behavior under temperature perturbation can reveal even subtle changes, such as aging and the loss of certain qualities during storage.
Mineral Additives to Enhance Early-Age Crack Resistance of Concrete under a Large-Temperature-Difference Environment
Authors: Guo Jinjun , Cui Liyan , Wu Jingjiang , Xu Hongyin , Zhang Zheng , Zhang Yong , Qin Gefei , Meng Qingxin , Li Hao , Wang Kun
Published: October 2021

The large temperature difference condition in Northwest China threatens a myriad of concrete structures during construction, with the daily temperature varying by around 40 °C. To investigate the macro-mechanical properties and microstructural characteristics of concrete containing different amounts of mineral admixtures under such harsh conditions, this investigation used an environmental chamber to simulate a saline soil erosion environment with a large temperature difference. Four types of concrete containing different proportions of fly ash and slag were prepared and exposed in the environmental chamber with a daily temperature change of −5~40 °C to investigate their compressive strength, flexural strength, and fracture properties. Moreover, the X-ray diffraction (XRD) characteristics, microscopic morphological characteristics, pore structure characteristics, and post-erosion chloride ion distribution characteristics were also observed and recorded. Results showed that the mineral admixture could improve the early strength development of the concrete and effectively improve the fracture performance of the concrete. The average compressive strength growth rate of concrete from day 3 to day 14 was 83.25% higher than that of ordinary concrete (OC) when 15% fly ash and 15% slag were added. In addition, the fracture energy of the concrete was maximized when 15% fly ash and 20% slag were added, which was 50.67% higher than that of OC; furthermore, the internal compactness and pore structure were optimized, and the resistance to saline soil erosion was strong. This provides a basis for the practical application of compounded mineral admixture-modified concrete in an arid environment with a large temperature difference and saline soil erosion.
Review of Magnetorheological Damping Systems on a Seismic Building
Authors: Lenggana Bhre Wangsa , Ubaidillah Ubaidillah , Imaduddin Fitrian , Choi Seung-Bok , Purwana Yusep Muslih , Harjana Harjana
Published: October 2021

Building structures are vulnerable to the shocks caused by earthquakes. Buildings that have been destroyed by an earthquake are very detrimental in terms of material loss and mental trauma. However, technological developments now enable us to anticipate shocks from earthquakes and minimize losses. One of the technologies that has been used, and is currently being further developed, is a damping device that is fitted to the building structure. There are various types of damping devices, each with different characteristics and systems. Multiple studies on damping devices have resulted in the development of various types, such as friction dampers (FDs), tuned mass dampers (TMDs), and viscous dampers (VDs). However, studies on attenuation devices are mostly based on the type of system and can be divided into three categories, namely passive, active, and semi-active. As such, each type and system have their own advantages and disadvantages. This study investigated the efficacy of a magnetorheological (MR) damper, a viscous-type damping device with a semi-active system, in a simulation that applied the damper to the side of a building structure. Although MR dampers have been extensively used and developed as inter-story damping devices, very few studies have analyzed their models and controls even though both are equally important in controlled dampers for semi-active systems. Of the various types of models, the Bingham model is the most popular as indicated by the large number of publications available on the subject. Most models adapt the Bingham model because it is the most straightforward of all the models. Fuzzy controls are often used for MR dampers in both simulations and experiments. This review provides benefits for further investigation of building damping devices, especially semi-active damping devices that use magnetorheological fluids as working fluids. In particular, this paper provides fundamental material on modeling and control systems used in magnetorheological dampers for buildings. In fact, magnetorheological dampers are no less attractive than other damping devices, such as tuned mass dampers and other viscous dampers. Their reliability is related to the damping control, which could be turned into an interesting discussion for further investigation.
Puerarin Improves Dexamethasone-Impaired Wound Healing In Vitro and In Vivo by Enhancing Keratinocyte Proliferation and Migration
Authors: Nguyen Ly Thi Huong , Ahn Sang-Hyun , Choi Min-Jin , Yang In-Jun , Shin Heung-Mook
Published: October 2021

The delayed and impaired wound healing caused by dexamethasone (DEX) is commonly reported. Puerarin, the major isoflavone found in Pueraria montana var. lobata (Willd.) Sanjappa & Pradeep promoted the wound healing process in diabetic rats. However, the effects and underlying mechanisms of puerarin on DEX-impaired wound healing have not been investigated. This study examined the potential uses of puerarin in upregulating keratinocyte proliferation and migration in dexamethasone (DEX)-suppressed wound healing model. The effects of puerarin on wound healing in vivo were investigated by taking full-thickness 5 mm punch biopsies from the dorsal skin of BALB/c mice and then treating them topically with 0.1% DEX. For the in vitro study, DEX-treated HaCaT cells were used to examine the effects of puerarin on DEX-induced keratinocyte proliferation and migration and the mechanisms of its action. Puerarin, when applied topically, accelerated the wound closure rate, increased the density of the capillaries, and upregulated the level of collagen fibers and TGF-β in the wound sites compared to the DEX-treated mice. Puerarin promoted the proliferation and migration of keratinocytes by activating the ERK and Akt signaling pathways in DEX-treated HaCaT cells. In conclusion, puerarin could be effective in reversing delayed and disrupted wound healing associated with DEX treatments.
An Effective Simulation Scheme for Predicting the Aerodynamic Heat of a Scramjet-Propelled Vehicle
Authors: Yang Lu , Zhang Guangming
Published: October 2021

Currently, aerothermal research into scramjet-propelled vehicles characterized by a wedge-shaped section is relatively sparse. Based on the Mach number, grid strategy, and numerical method, an effective simulation scheme for predicting the aerodynamic heat of a scramjet-propelled vehicle during flight is proposed in this paper. At different Mach numbers, the appropriate grid strategy and numerical method were determined by validation tests. Two-dimensional external flow field models based on wedge sections were established and, unlike in blunt bodies, the tests showed that at the high supersonic stage, the ideal cell Reynolds number should be no larger than 16. At the hypersonic stage, the ideal cell Reynolds number and aspect ratio of wall cells near the shock should be no larger than 40, and the AUSM+ flux type performs better than Roe’s FDS flux type at the above stages. The aerothermal prediction indicates that during a flight time of about 34 s, the temperature change reaches about 1913.35 °C, and the maximum average temperature change rate reaches 115 °C/s.
Vibrations Analysis of the Fruit-Pedicel System of Coffea arabica var. Castillo Using Time–Frequency and Wavelets Techniques
Authors: Cardona Carlos I. , Tinoco Hector A. , Perdomo-Hurtado Luis , López-Guzmán Juliana , Pereira Daniel A.
Published: October 2021

Colombian coffee production is well-known, and selective manual harvesting plays a vital task in guaranteeing high ripe coffee fruit rates in this process, leading to its known worldwide aroma and flavor. To maintain this quality approach, selective harvesting methods based on mechanical vibrations are a promising alternative for developing technologies that could accomplish the challenging Colombian coffee production context. In this study, a vibrations analysis in coffee fruits at three ripening stages was carried out to evaluate the dynamic behavior at two frequency windows: 10 to 100 Hz and 100 to 1000 Hz. Two groups of fruits previously classified in the CIELab color space were chosen for the vibration test study samples. Time and frequency signals were characterized via FFT (fast Fourier transform), and bump wavelets were determined to obtain the frequency–time magnitude scalograms. The measurements were obtained in three degrees of freedom over the fruits: one for measuring the input force (computed in voltage way) and the other two measured by the velocity. The results revealed frequency ranges with specific resonant peaks between 24 and 45 Hz, and close to 700 Hz, where the ripe fruits presented higher magnitudes in the calculated parameters. FFT of the velocity and scaled mechanical impedance were used to estimate these frequency ranges. This work is an important step to identify a “vibrational fingerprint” of each Coffea arabica var. Castillo fruit-ripening stage. However, we consider that more experiments should be performed to reconstruct the modal shape in each resonance. In future studies, fatigue analysis could show which are the most effective frequency ranges to detach the ripe fruits from the perspective of a real selective coffee-harvesting scenario.
System of Parametric Modelling and Assessing the Production Staff Utilisation as a Basis for Aggregate Production Planning
Authors: Krajčovič Martin , Furmannová Beáta , Grznár Patrik , Furmann Radovan , Plinta Dariusz , Svitek Radovan , Antoniuk Ivan
Published: October 2021

The requirement to achieve effective solutions in the shortest possible time in the manufacturing environment is essential, and it can be solved only by effective production planning methods. The scientific problem is that traditional methods for creating and assessing the production plans are insufficient for the future and it is necessary to look for new alternatives. The planners in the framework of designing the production layouts and subsequent capacity planning of the employees are missing the information, methods and tools for making clear decisions. The production costs in general and especially the costs for the workforce create a large part of the operating costs in many manufacturing enterprises. The scientific goal of the article is to present a design of the system for parametric modelling and assessing the working utilisation of the production staff intended for reducing costs. The described solution is based on object-oriented analysis and contains a methodology of planning and controlling the production process in the industrial environment. The designed methodology was used for developing a planning module of project software and was shown through a case study in a company dealing with the production of automotive components. Effective modelling of the digital copy of the manufacturing system in the software environment is one of the most difficult and important steps for developing reliable information systems for planning and inspection in the industry. The methodology’s results in a company are that the solution can be used as a basis for the aggregate production planning that brings savings and efficiency increases. The research results can be used in any company with strictly defined working positions, working activities, and limiting conditions.
Design of a Sweet Potato Transplanter Based on a Robot Arm
Authors: Liu Zhengduo , Wang Xu , Zheng Wenxiu , Lv Zhaoqin , Zhang Wanzhi
Published: October 2021

Traditional sweet potato transplanters have the problem of seedling leakage and can only accomplish one transplantation method at a time, which does not meet the requirements of complex planting terrain that requires multiple transplantation methods. Therefore, this paper proposes a design for a crawler-type sweet potato transplanting machine, which can accomplish a variety of transplanting trajectories and conduct automatic replanting. The machine has a transplanting piece and a replanting piece. The transplanting piece completes the transplanting action through a transplanting robot arm, and the replanting piece detects the transplanting status by deep learning. The mathematical model of the transplanting robot arm is built, and the transplanting trajectory is inferred from the inverse kinematics model of the transplanting robot. In the replanting piece, a target detection network is used to detect the transplanting status. The DBIFPN structure and the CBAM_Dense attention mechanism are proposed to improve the accuracy of the target detection of sweet potato seedlings. The experiment showed that the transplanting robot arm can transplant sweet potatoes in horizontal and vertical methods, and the highest transplanting qualification rate is 96.8%. Compared with the use of the transplanting piece alone, the leakage rate of the transplanting–replanting mechanism decreased by 5.2%. These results provide a theoretical basis and technical support for the research and development of sweet potato transplanters.
Design, Construction and Validation of a Proof of Concept Flexible–Rigid Mechanism Emulating Human Leg Behavior
Authors: Jung Erik , Ly Victoria , Cheney Christopher , Cessna Nicholas , Ngo Mai Linh , Castro Dennis , Teodorescu Mircea
Published: October 2021

In most robotics simulations, human joints (e.g., hips and knees) are assumed to be revolute joints with limited range rotations. However, this approach neglects the internal flexibility of the joint, which could present a significant drawback in some applications. We propose a tensegrity-inspired robotic manipulator that can replicate the kinematic behavior of the human leg. The design of the hip and knee resembles the musculoskeletal connections within the human body. Our implementation represents muscles, tendons and ligament connections as cables, and bones as rods. This particular design manipulates muscles to replicate a human-like gait, which demonstrates its potential for use as an anatomically correct assistive device (prosthetic, exoskeleton, etc.). Using the OpenSim 3.0 simulation environment, we estimated the kinematics and structural integrity of the proposed flexural joint design and determined the actuation strategies for our prototype. Kinematics for the prototype include the mechanical limitations and constraints derived from the simulations. We compared the simulation, physical prototype, and human leg behaviors for various ranges of motion and demonstrated the potential for using OpenSim 3.0 as a flexible–rigid modeling and simulation environment.
The Framework of 6G Self-Evolving Networks and the Decision-Making Scheme for Massive IoT
Authors: Liu Bei , Luo Jie , Su Xin
Published: October 2021

The increasingly huge amount of device connections will transform the Internet of Things (IoT) into the massive IoT. The use cases of massive IoT consist of the smart city, digital agriculture, smart traffic, etc., in which the service requirements are different and even constantly changing. To fulfill the different requirements, the networks must be able to automatically adjust the network configuration, architectures, resource allocations, and other network parameters according to the different scenarios to match the different service requirements in massive IoT, which are beyond the abilities of the fifth generation (5G) networks. Moreover, the sixth generation (6G) networks are expected to have endogenous intelligence, which can well support the massive IoT application scenarios. In this paper, we first propose the framework of the 6G self-evolving networks, in which the autonomous decision-making is one of the vital parts. Then, we introduce the autonomous decision-making methods and analyze the characteristics of the different methods and mechanisms for 6G networks. To prove the effectiveness of the proposed framework, we consider one of the typical scenarios of massive IoT and propose an artificial intelligence (AI)-based distributed decision-making algorithm to solve the problem of the offloading policy and the network resource allocation. Simulation results show that the proposed decision-making algorithm with the self-evolving networks can improve the quality of experience (QoE) compared with the lower training.
Exposure to Particles and Gases in a Shopping Mall: Spatial Heterogeneity and Outdoor Infiltration
Authors: Li Alison Tan-Yui , Che Wen-Wei , Song Yu-Shan , Tong Jimmy Chun-Kung , Lau Alexis Kai-Hon
Published: October 2021

Shopping malls in Hong Kong are usually located near major roads. Indoor air quality (IAQ) in these buildings is subject to infiltration of outdoor traffic-related pollutants, such as PM10, PM2.5, CO, and NO2. Furthermore, the existence of indoor sources and building geometry added to the complexity of variations in IAQ. To understand outdoor infiltration and spatial heterogeneity of these pollutants, we conducted fixed and cruise indoor sampling, together with simultaneous outdoor measurements, in a typical mall in Hong Kong. The cruise sampling was conducted indoors on a predesigned route and repeated 15 times. Outdoor infiltration was quantified based on regression analysis between indoor and outdoor sampling. Results showed that 75% of PM2.5, 53% of PM10, and 59% of NO2 were infiltrated into the mall during opening hours. Elevated PM2.5 and CO were observed during the dinner period, suggesting an impact from cooking. Substantial spatial variations were observed for PM10, PM2.5, and NO2, particularly at locations near entrances and restaurants. Measures are needed to reduce pollution intrusion from building openings and cooking-related sources to improve air quality in the selected mall. Fixed and cruise sampling methods used in this study provide insights on sensor deployment for future air quality monitoring in buildings.
Hardening the Security of Multi-Access Edge Computing through Bio-Inspired VM Introspection
Authors: Huseynov Huseyn , Saadawi Tarek , Kourai Kenichi
Published: October 2021

The extreme bandwidth and performance of 5G mobile networks changes the way we develop and utilize digital services. Within a few years, 5G will not only touch technology and applications, but dramatically change the economy, our society and individual life. One of the emerging technologies that enables the evolution to 5G by bringing cloud capabilities near to the end users is Edge Computing or also known as Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) that will become pertinent towards the evolution of 5G. This evolution also entails growth in the threat landscape and increase privacy in concerns at different application areas, hence security and privacy plays a central role in the evolution towards 5G. Since MEC application instantiated in the virtualized infrastructure, in this paper we present a distributed application that aims to constantly introspect multiple virtual machines (VMs) in order to detect malicious activities based on their anomalous behavior. Once suspicious processes detected, our IDS in real-time notifies system administrator about the potential threat. Developed software is able to detect keyloggers, rootkits, trojans, process hiding and other intrusion artifacts via agent-less operation, by operating remotely or directly from the host machine. Remote memory introspection means no software to install, no notice to malware to evacuate or destroy data. Experimental results of remote VMI on more than 50 different malicious code demonstrate average anomaly detection rate close to 97%. We have established wide testbed environment connecting networks of two universities Kyushu Institute of Technology and The City College of New York through secure GRE tunnel. Conducted experiments on this testbed deliver high response time of the proposed system.
Nostocyclopeptides as New Inhibitors of 20S Proteasome
Authors: Fidor Anna , Cekała Katarzyna , Wieczerzak Ewa , Cegłowska Marta , Kasprzykowski Franciszek , Edwards Christine , Mazur-Marzec Hanna
Published: October 2021

Nostocyclopeptides (Ncps) are a small class of bioactive nonribosomal peptides produced solely by cyanobacteria of the genus Nostoc. In the current work, six Ncps were isolated from Nostoc edaphicum strain CCNP1411. The bioactivity of these compounds was tested in vitro against 20S proteasome, a proteolytic complex that plays an important role in maintaining cellular proteostasis. Dysfunction of the complex leads to many pathological disorders. The assays indicated selective activity of specific Ncp variants. For two linear peptide aldehydes, Ncp-A2-L and Ncp-E2-L, the inhibitory effects on chymotrypsin-like activity were revealed, while the cyclic variant, Ncp-A2, inactivated the trypsin-like site of this enzymatic complex. The aldehyde group was confirmed to be an important element of the chymotrypsin-like activity inhibitors. The nostocyclopeptides, as novel inhibitors of 20S proteasome, increased the number of natural products that can be considered potential regulators of cellular processes.
Targeting of Janus Kinases Limits Pro-Inflammatory but Also Immunosuppressive Circuits in the Crosstalk between Synovial Fibroblasts and Lymphocytes
Authors: Yao Nina , Tretter Theresa , Kvacskay Peter , Merkt Wolfgang , Blank Norbert , Lorenz Hanns-Martin , Tykocinski Lars-Oliver
Published: October 2021

Crosstalk between synovial fibroblasts (SF) and immune cells plays a central role in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) have proven efficacy in the treatment of RA, although clinical responses are heterogeneous. Currently, little is known regarding how JAKi affect pro- and anti-inflammatory circuits in the bidirectional interplay between SF and immune cells. Here, we examined the effects of tofacitinib, baricitinib and upadacitinib on crosstalk between SF and T or B lymphocytes in vitro and compared them with those of biologic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs). JAKi dose-dependently suppressed cytokine secretion of T helper (Th) cells and decreased interleukin (IL)-6 and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)3 secretion of SF stimulated by Th cells. Importantly, JAK inhibition attenuated the enhanced memory response of chronically stimulated SF. Vice versa, JAKi reduced the indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO)1-mediated suppression of T cell-proliferation by SF. Remarkably, certain bDMARDs were as efficient as JAKi in suppressing the IL-6 and MMP3 secretion of SF stimulated by Th (adalimumab, secukinumab) or B cells (canakinumab) and combining bDMARDs with JAKi had synergistic effects. In conclusion, JAKi limit pro-inflammatory circuits in the crosstalk between SF and lymphocytes; however, they also weaken the immunosuppressive functions of SF. Both effects were dose-dependent and may contribute to heterogeneity in clinical response to treatment.
Children’s Privilege in COVID-19: The Protective Role of the Juvenile Lung Morphometry and Ventilatory Pattern on Airborne SARS-CoV-2 Transmission to Respiratory Epithelial Barriers and Disease Severity
Authors: Hofstätter Norbert , Hofer Sabine , Duschl Albert , Himly Martin
Published: October 2021

The incidence of severe COVID-19 in children is low, and underlying mechanisms for lower SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and self-limiting disease severity are poorly understood. Severe clinical manifestations in adults require SARS-CoV-2 inoculation in the lower respiratory tract, establishing a pulmonary disease phase. This may be either accomplished by direct inoculation of the thoracic region upon exposure to virion-laden aerosols, or by infection of the upper respiratory system and aspiration of virion-laden aerosols originating right there into the lower respiratory tract. The particularities of epithelial barriers as the anatomical site of first viral deposition specifically determine the initial characteristics of an innate immune response, emerging respiratory tissue damage and dysfunctionality, and hence, severity of clinical symptoms. We, thus, investigated by in silico modeling whether the combined effect of juvenile lung morphometry, children’s ventilatory pattern and the peculiarities of the virion-laden aerosols’ properties, render children more resilient to aerosol deposition in the lower respiratory tract. Our study presents evidence for major age-dependent differences of the regional virion-laden aerosol deposition. We identified deposition hotspots in the alveolar–interstitial region of the young adult. Our data reveal that children are void of corresponding hotspots. The inoculum quantum in the alveolar–interstitial region hotspots is found to be considerably related to age. Our results suggest that children are intrinsically protected against SARS-CoV-2 inoculation in the lower respiratory tract, which may help to explain the lower risk of severe clinical manifestations associated with a pulmonary phase.
The Neural Markers of Self-Caught and Probe-Caught Mind Wandering: An ERP Study
Authors: Liu Yong , Zhao Jia , Zhou Xinqi , Liu Xiaolin , Chen Hong , Yuan Hong
Published: October 2021

Mind-wandering (MW) is a common phenomenon, defined as task-unrelated thoughts. This study is based on event-related potentials (ERPs), using modified sustained attention to response task (modified SART, mSART) to discuss the neural patterns of different types of MW. In the current study, we defined the MW realized by participants as self-caught MW, and the MW measurement acquired by probes as probe-caught MW. The behavioral results showed that the reaction times (RTs) during self-caught MW were greater than those during non-self-caught MW. The ERP results showed that during self-caught MW, the mean amplitudes of N1 decreased significantly, indicating that the participants’ attention had deviated from the current task. The increase in the mean amplitudes of P2 during self-caught MW indicated lower vigilance. We also found that the mean amplitudes of N300 reduced during self-caught MW, which indicated that cognitive control or monitoring might be affected by self-caught MW. The average amplitudes of P300 were significantly lower during probe-caught MW than during on-task, indicating the impact on high-level cognitive processing. In addition, the amplitudes of N1, P2, and N300 in anterior regions were greater than those in posterior regions. P300 amplitudes during probe-caught MW in the right hemisphere were greater than those of the left hemisphere. In summary, our research results demonstrated that alertness and cognitive processing decreased during both self-caught MW and probe-caught MW. ERPs were statistically different under the conditions of self-caught MW and probe-caught MW. The current study provided new insights into the relationship between MW and neural markers. It was the first study exploring the ERP correlates between self-caught MW and probe-caught MW based on mSART.
Sustainable Performance of a Modular Building System Made of Built-Up Cold-Formed Steel Beams
Authors: Thirunavukkarasu Kajaharan , Kanthasamy Elilarasi , Gatheeshgar Perampalam , Poologanathan Keerthan , Rajanayagam Heshachanaa , Suntharalingam Thadshajini , Dissanayake Madhushan
Published: October 2021

Modular Building Systems (MBS) offer numerous benefits in terms of productivity, sustainability and safety. Therefore, MBSs are considered as a viable option to sort out the housing crisis in Britain as well as to drive Britain towards sustainable construction. Development in materials, manufacturing techniques, connection types and structural designs with respect to offsite construction is essential to achieve sustainable goals. Recent advancements in steel manufacturing, including Cold-Formed Steel (CFS), have showed potential benefits in structural performance compared to concrete and timber. Meanwhile, research was conducted to enhance the structural capacities of CFS sections by introducing different cross-sections, composite sections and techniques including optimization. Built-up sections were developed by connecting more than one channel section, and various research studies were conducted to assess their structural performances. However, sustainable performance of built-up sections in modular constructions is still unknown. Hence, this paper intends to develop an MBS using built-up sections for better sustainable performance. Literature review was carried out on the sustainability benefits of MBSs in terms of economic, environmental and social aspects. In addition to that, numerical analysis was performed to investigate the flexural capacity of built-up sections with different screw arrangements to address the sustainable aspects of modular construction by introducing novel sections. The numerical description, results and validations are also stated. Numerical results revealed that flexural capacities of built-up sections are improved up to 156% than those of single sections. Finally, the utilization of built-up sections in modular construction with sustainability enhancement is addressed and illustrated in a conceptual diagram.
RBL1/p107 Expression Levels Are Modulated by Multiple Signaling Pathways
Authors: Ventura Elisa , Iannuzzi Carmelina Antonella , Pentimalli Francesca , Giordano Antonio , Morrione Andrea
Published: October 2021

The members of the retinoblastoma (RB) protein family, RB1/p105, retinoblastoma-like (RBL)1/p107 and RBL2/p130 are critical modulators of the cell cycle and their dysregulation has been associated with tumor initiation and progression. The activity of RB proteins is regulated by numerous pathways including oncogenic signaling, but the molecular mechanisms of these functional interactions are not fully defined. We previously demonstrated that RBL2/p130 is a direct target of AKT and it is a key mediator of the apoptotic process induced by AKT inhibition. Here we demonstrated that RBL1/p107 levels are only minorly modulated by the AKT signaling pathway. In contrast, we discovered that RBL1/p107 levels are regulated by multiple pathways linked directly or indirectly to Ca2+-dependent signaling. Inhibition of the multifunctional calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinases (CaMKs) significantly reduced RBL1/p107 expression levels and phosphorylation, increased RBL1/p107 nuclear localization and led to cell cycle arrest in G0/G1. Targeting the Ca2+-dependent endopeptidase calpain stabilized RBL1/p107 levels and counteracted the reduction of RBL1/p107 levels associated with CaMKs inhibition. Thus, these novel observations suggest a complex regulation of RBL1/p107 expression involving different components of signaling pathways controlled by Ca2+ levels, including CaMKs and calpain, pointing out a significant difference with the mechanisms modulating the close family member RBL2/p130.
Transcription Factor RBPJL Is Able to Repress Notch Target Gene Expression but Is Non-Responsive to Notch Activation
Authors: Pan Leiling , Hoffmeister Philipp , Turkiewicz Aleksandra , Huynh N. , Große-Berkenbusch Andreas , Knippschild Uwe , Gebhardt J. , Baumann Bernd , Borggrefe Tilman , Oswald Franz
Published: October 2021

The Notch signaling pathway is an evolutionary conserved signal transduction cascade present in almost all tissues and is required for embryonic and postnatal development, as well as for stem cell maintenance, but it is also implicated in tumorigenesis including pancreatic cancer and leukemia. The transcription factor RBPJ forms a coactivator complex in the presence of a Notch signal, whereas it represses Notch target genes in the absence of a Notch stimulus. In the pancreas, a specific paralog of RBPJ, called RBPJL, is expressed and found as part of the heterotrimeric PTF1-complex. However, the function of RBPJL in Notch signaling remains elusive. Using molecular modeling, biochemical and functional assays, as well as single-molecule time-lapse imaging, we show that RBPJL and RBPJ, despite limited sequence homology, possess a high degree of structural similarity. RBPJL is specifically expressed in the exocrine pancreas, whereas it is mostly undetectable in pancreatic tumour cell lines. Importantly, RBPJL is not able to interact with Notch−1 to −4 and it does not support Notch-mediated transactivation. However, RBPJL can bind to canonical RBPJ DNA elements and shows migration dynamics comparable to that of RBPJ in the nuclei of living cells. Importantly, RBPJL is able to interact with SHARP/SPEN, the central corepressor of the Notch pathway. In line with this, RBPJL is able to fully reconstitute transcriptional repression at Notch target genes in cells lacking RBPJ. Together, RBPJL can act as an antagonist of RBPJ, which renders cells unresponsive to the activation of Notch.
Mesoporous TiO2 Implanted ZnO QDs for the Photodegradation of Tetracycline: Material Design, Structural Characterization and Photodegradation Mechanism
Authors: Iqbal Anwar , Saidu Usman , Sreekantan Srimala , Ahmad Mohammad Norazmi , Rashid Marzaini , Ahmed Naser M. , Danial Wan Hazman , Wilson Lee D.
Published: October 2021

A sol-gel method was used to prepare a mesoporous TiO2 implanted with a ZnO quantum dot photocatalyst (TZQ) for the photodegradation of tetracycline (TC) under fluorescent light irradiation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows the presence of cavities on the photocatalyst surface due to the use of starch as a synthetic template, where the nitrogen sorption results indicate that TZQ contains mesopores with reduced size (ca. 4.3 nm) versus the pore size of the parent meso-TiO2 (ca. 7.5 nm). The addition of ZnO quantum dots (QDs) resulted in spherically-shaped binary composite particles in layers onto the surface of TiO2. The coexistence of the ZnO QDs and TiO2 phase was observed using high resolution-transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). The photodegradation of TC was carried out in a homemade reactor equipped with two fluorescent lights (24 W each) and within 90 min of irradiation, 94.6% of TC (40 mg L−1) was photodegraded using 250 mg L−1 of TZQ at pH 9. The major reactive oxygen species identified from the scavenging tests were O2●− followed by HO●. The deconvolution of the photoluminescence spectrum of TZQ indicates the presence of a strong quantum confinement effect (QCE) of the ZnO QDs, a defect related to Ti-species and oxygen. The analysis of the intermediates detected by LC-time-of-flight/mass spectrometry (LC/TOF-MS) suggest two photodegradation pathways. The pathways were validated using the Fukui function approach and the Wheland localisation approach. This simple and efficient photocatalytic technology is anticipated to benefit small-scale animal husbandries and aquaculture operators that have limited access to sustainable water treatment technology.
Photo-Fenton-Like Treatment of Municipal Wastewater
Authors: Kanafin Yerkanat N. , Makhatova Ardak , Zarikas Vasilios , Arkhangelsky Elizabeth , Poulopoulos Stavros G.
Published: October 2021

In this work, the photochemical treatment of a real municipal wastewater using a persulfate-driven photo-Fenton-like process was studied. The wastewater treatment efficiency was evaluated in terms of total carbon (TC), total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) removal. Response surface methodology (RSM) in conjunction Box-Behnken design (BBD) and multilayer artificial neural network (ANN) have been utilized for the optimization of the treatment process. The effects of four independent factors such as reaction time, pH, K2S2O8 concentration and K2S2O8/Fe2+ molar ratio on the TC, TOC and TN removal have been investigated. The process significant factors have been determined implementing Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Both RSM and ANN accurately found the optimum conditions for the maximum removal of TOC (100% and 98.7%, theoretically), which resulted in complete mineralization of TOC at the reaction time of 106.06 min, pH of 7.7, persulfate concentration of 30 mM and K2S2O8/Fe2+ molar ratio of 7.5 for RSM and at the reaction time of 104.93 min, pH of 7.7, persulfate concentration of 30 mM and K2S2O8/Fe2+ molar ratio of 9.57 for ANN. On the contrary, the attempts to find the optimal conditions for the maximum TC and TN removal using statistical, and neural network models were not successful.
What Is the Real State of Single-Atom Catalysts under Electrochemical Conditions—From Adsorption to Surface Pourbaix Plots?
Authors: Dobrota Ana S. , Đokić Tanja , Skorodumova Natalia V. , Mentus Slavko V. , Pašti Igor A.
Published: October 2021

The interest in single-atom catalysts (SACs) is increasing, as these materials have the ultimate level of catalyst utilization, while novel reactions where SACs are used are constantly being discovered. However, to properly understand SACs and to further improve these materials, it is necessary to consider the nature of active sites under operating conditions. This is particularly important when SACs are used as electrocatalysts due to harsh experimental conditions, including extreme pH values or high anodic and cathodic potential. In this contribution, density functional theory-based thermodynamic modelling is used to address the nature of metal centers in SACs formed by embedding single metal atoms (Ru, Rh, Ir, Ni, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag, and Au) into graphene monovacancy. Our results suggest that none of these SAC metal centers are clean at any potential or pH in the water thermodynamic stability region. Instead, metal centers are covered with Hads, OHads, or Oads, and in some cases, we observed the restructuring of the metal sites due to oxygen incorporation. Based on these findings, it is suggested that setting up theoretical models for SAC modelling and the interpretation of ex situ characterization results using ultra-high vacuum (UHV) techniques requires special care, as the nature of SAC active sites under operating conditions can significantly diverge from the basic models or the pictures set by the UHV measurements.
Asymmetric Henry Reaction of Nitromethane with Substituted Aldehydes Catalyzed by Novel In Situ Generated Chiral Bis(β-Amino Alcohol-Cu(OAc)2·H2O Complex
Authors: Alammari Abdullah Saleh , Al-Majid Abdullah Mohammed , Barakat Assem , Alshahrani Saeed , Ali Mohammad , Islam Mohammad Shahidul
Published: October 2021

Novel chiral thiophene-2,5-bis(β-amino alcohol) ligands (L1–L5) were designed and synthesized from thiophene-2,5-dicarbaldehyde (3) with chiral β-amino alcohols (4a–e) in 4 steps with overall 23% yields. An in situ generated L-Cu(OAc)2·H2O catalyst system was found to be highly capable catalyst for the asymmetric Henry reaction of nitromethane (7) with various substituted aromatic aldehydes (6a–m) producing chiral nitroaldols product (8a–m) with excellent enantiomeric purity (up to 94.6% ee) and up to >99% chemical yields. 20 mol% of L4-Cu(OAc)2 catalyst complex in EtOH was effective for the asymmetric Henry transformation in 24 h, at ambient temperature. Ease of ligand synthesis, use of green solvent, base free reaction, mild reaction conditions, high yields and excellent enantioselectivity are all key factors that make this catalytic system robust and highly desirable for the access of versatile building block β-nitro alcohol in practical catalytic usage via asymmetric Henry reaction.