bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Unbalanced Maternal Nutritional Intakes on Oocyte Mitochondrial Activity: Implications for Reproductive Function
Authors: Fabozzi Gemma , Iussig Benedetta , Cimadomo Danilo , Vaiarelli Alberto , Maggiulli Roberta , Ubaldi Nicolò , Ubaldi Filippo Maria , Rienzi Laura
Published: January 2021

Accumulating evidence on the effect of nutrition on reproduction is emerging from both animal and human studies. A healthy dietary pattern and nutrient supplementation, especially during the peri-conceptional period, might be helpful to achieve a live birth, although the mechanisms implicated are not fully understood. The endocrine system and the ooplasmic organelles apparatus, in particular the mitochondria, are clearly key elements during oogenesis and subsequent embryo development, and their proper functioning is associated with nutrition, even beyond maternal aging. Several studies in animal models have reported various adverse effects on mitochondria caused by unbalanced dietary intakes such as high fat diet, high fat high sugar diet, and low protein diet. The alterations produced might include mitochondrial intracellular distribution, content, structure, biogenesis, and functioning. This review summarizes the key role of mitochondria in female reproduction and the effects of different dietary macronutrient compositions on oocyte mitochondrial activity with their possible short-, medium-, and long-term effects.
Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Production Alters Sperm Quality
Authors: Chianese Rosanna , Pierantoni Riccardo
Published: January 2021

Besides ATP production, mitochondria are key organelles in several cellular functions, such as steroid hormone biosynthesis, calcium homoeostasis, intrinsic apoptotic pathway, and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Despite the loss of the majority of the cytoplasm occurring during spermiogenesis, mammalian sperm preserves a number of mitochondria that rearrange in a tubular structure at the level of the sperm flagellum midpiece. Although sperm mitochondria are destroyed inside the zygote, the integrity and the functionality of these organelles seem to be critical for fertilization and embryo development. The aim of this review was to discuss the impact of mitochondria-produced ROS at multiple levels in sperm: the genome, proteome, lipidome, epigenome. How diet, aging and environmental pollution may affect sperm quality and offspring health—by exacerbating oxidative stress—will be also described.
Association of Metabolically Healthy and Unhealthy Obesity Phenotypes with Oxidative Stress Parameters and Telomere Length in Healthy Young Adult Men. Analysis of the MAGNETIC Study
Authors: Lejawa Mateusz , Osadnik Kamila , Osadnik Tadeusz , Pawlas Natalia
Published: January 2021

Obesity is a significant factor related to metabolic disturbances that can lead to metabolic syndrome (MetS). Metabolic dysregulation causes oxidative stress, which affects telomere structure. The current study aimed to evaluate the relationships between telomere length, oxidative stress and the metabolically healthy and unhealthy phenotypes in healthy young men. Ninety-eight participants were included in the study (49 healthy slim and 49 obese patients). Study participants were divided into three subgroups according to body mass index and metabolic health. Selected oxidative stress markers were measured in serum. Relative telomere length (rTL) was measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The analysis showed associations between laboratory markers, oxidative stress markers and rTL in metabolically healthy and unhealthy participants. Total oxidation status (TOS), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and rTL were significantly connected with metabolically unhealthy obesity. TAC was associated with metabolically healthy obesity. Telomeres shorten in patients with metabolic dysregulation related to oxidative stress and obesity linked to MetS. Further studies among young metabolically healthy and unhealthy individuals are needed to determine the pathways related to metabolic disturbances that cause oxidative stress that leads to MetS.
Seismic Response Analysis of Prestressed Concrete Rocking Frame
Authors: Zhao Zixiang , Su Xiaozu
Published: January 2021

In order to investigate the seismic performance of prestressed concrete rocking frame (PCRF), a theoretical model based on rigid body is established for a one-story single-span PCRF. The PCRF studied in this paper has the connecting interfaces set at the column feet and at the inner faces of the beam–column joints, allowing the columns to be uplifted with the accompanying separation of the beam–column interface and rotation of the beam and column around the interface. The tendons are arranged along the centerline of the beam and columns. The connections between the beam and columns and the anchoring of columns are accomplished by prestressing the tendons. The theoretical model consists of a rigid beam, rigid columns and elastic tendons. The governing motion equation of the PCRF is derived based on the model and a numerical solution of the equation of motion is obtained. The energy dissipation of the PCRF is analyzed and the calculation method for the coefficient of restitution is derived. Time history analysis and parameter analysis of seismic response of the PCRF are conducted and the results show that the PCRF has promising seismic behavior.
Alveolar Preservation with Albumin and Gentamycin-Coated Allograft after Third Molar Tooth Removal: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Minya Fanni , Trimmel Balint , Simonffy Laszlo , Gyulai-Gaal Szabolcs , Lacza Zsombor , Dobo-Nagy Csaba
Published: January 2021

Alveolar preservation can minimize bone resorption after tooth removal and additional topical antibiotics might also be considered. The goal of this study was to observe alveolar preservation with albumin and gentamycin-coated allograft compared to unfilled control sockets after mandibular third molar removal. Twenty-two patients were involved, 11 in the control group and 11 in the test group. CBCT analysis and micromorphometric analysis were performed. After one year, graft integration was observed with remaining graft particles. Micromorphometric analysis showed increased density and lower trabeculae formation in the grafted group. The buccal height reduction of the alveolar ridge was significantly lower when alveolar preservation was applied (control: 2.54 ± 2.01 mm, graft: 1.37 ± 1.04 mm, p < 0.05). Horizontal bone loss prevention was not significant. At the distal site of the second molar, the marginal bone level (MBL) was significantly lower in the control group. At the control group, five pockets persisted from the eight initial and all healed in the graft group. Alveolar preservation improves bone formation, helps to preserve the buccal bone crest, and minimizes MBL loss and pocket formation on the adjacent teeth. Thus, it needs to be also considered after third molar surgical removal.
Position Control Based on Add-on-Type Iterative Learning Control with Nonlinear Controller for Permanent-Magnet Stepper Motors
Authors: Suh Sangmin , Kim Wonhee
Published: January 2021

In this paper, a current-error-based iterative learning controller (ILC) with a nonlinear controller is proposed to improve the position-tracking performance in permanent-magnet (PM) stepper motors. Our proposed method comprises a current-error-based ILC for mechanical dynamics and a nonlinear controller for current dynamics. A nonlinear controller using a variable structure is designed to obtain the field-oriented control. This nonlinear controller can cause the PM stepper motor become a single-input single-output linear system after finite time. The add-on-type ILC with proportional–integral control is designed to improve the position-tracking performance as the systems repeatedly perform the same operation. To increase the rate of error convergence, the current-error-based ILC is designed using the plant inversion method. The condition that the error converges to zero is mathematically derived. Thus, the proposed method can reduce the position-tracking error as the systems repeatedly perform the same operation. Furthermore, the proposed method can be easily plugged into the pre-designed controller. The performance of our proposed method was evaluated via simulations. In simulations, it is observed that the proposed method reduces the position-tracking error compared to the previous methods.
A Method of Two-Stage Pressure Control Based on Multistage Orifices
Authors: Gao Junxia , Wu Fenghe , Tang Jun , Geng Zichun
Published: January 2021

The interaction of pressure and flow in a hydraulic system with multiple working conditions, multiple actuators, and large flow limits action adjustment and control. Through a pilot pressure control circuit, hydraulically operated valves can adjust pressure or direction more effectively. A recent study proposed a two-stage pressure control method based on multistage orifices and solenoid valves. The requirements of the number and diameter ratio of short orifices in the series to realize the two-stage pressure control were theoretically analyzed. Scheme design and experiment were carried out. The influence of structures of complex flow channel and solenoid valve on the higher or lower pilot control pressure was considered in the experiment. The method was experimentally verified and successfully applied in a turbine electrohydraulic control system with lower maintenance costs, making the system more reliable in the case of electrical failure. Research results provide insight into pilot pressure control in fluid systems using multistage orifices to achieve either higher or lower pressure. In addition, it has important guiding significance for the design of valves or engineering systems based on pilot hydraulic pressure.
Wind Turbine Prognosis Models Based on SCADA Data and Extreme Learning Machines
Authors: Marti-Puig Pere , Blanco-M. Alejandro , Serra-Serra Moisès , Solé-Casals Jordi
Published: January 2021

In this paper, a method to build models to monitor and evaluate the health status of wind turbines using Single-hidden Layer Feedforward Neural networks (SLFN) is presented. The models are trained using the Extreme Learning Machines (ELM) strategy. The data used is obtained from the SCADA systems, easily available in modern wind turbines. The ELM technique requires very low computational costs for the training of the models, and thus allows for the integration of a grid-search approach with parallelized instances to find out the optimal model parameters. These models can be built both individually, considering the turbines separately, or as an aggregate for the whole wind plant. The followed strategy consists in predicting a target variable using the rest of the variables of the system/subsystem, computing the error deviation from the real target variable and finally comparing high error values with a selection of alarm events for that system, therefore validating the performance of the model. The experimental results indicate that this methodology leads to the detection of mismatches in the stages of the system’s failure, thus making it possible to schedule the maintenance operation before a critical failure occurs. The simplicity of the ELM systems and the ease with which the parameters can be adjusted make it a realistic option to be implemented in wind turbine models to work in real time.
Modelling the Demand for AM Technologies in Polish Manufacturing Enterprises Using Bayesian Networks
Authors: Patalas-Maliszewska Justyna , Śliwa Małgorzata , Topczak Marcin
Published: January 2021

Combining the knowledge about additive manufacturing technologies available in the literature with the results of empirical research in Polish manufacturing enterprises, regarding the implementation of AM, using the Bayesian network, will allow the recent demand for AM technologies to be defined in the context of an industry’s needs. The main purpose of the study is to build a new model that integrates: (1) knowledge about the implementation of AM in manufacturing companies, gained from the literature, (2) knowledge about the demands and state of the use of AM from 250 Polish metal and automotive manufacturing enterprises, and (3) Bayesian networks. The results reveal that the model developed is able to accurately detect the key determinants of the implementation process of AM technologies within a manufacturing company and identify the specific requirements for the further implementation of additive technologies. The freshness of our work is defining the demand for AM technology based on the knowledge gained from literature and knowledge received through empirical study. The possibilities of using the results of research in economic practice were demonstrated. This new approach can be treated as a solution, which will both direct and help mangers to take the decision to implement AM technologies.
Production of a Human Metabolite of Atorvastatin by Bacterial CYP102A1 Peroxygenase
Authors: Nguyen Thi , Yeom Soo-Jin , Yun Chul-Ho
Published: January 2021

Atorvastatin is a widely used statin drug that prevents cardiovascular disease and treats hyperlipidemia. The major metabolites in humans are 2-OH and 4-OH atorvastatin, which are active metabolites known to show highly inhibiting effects on 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase activity. Producing the hydroxylated metabolites by biocatalysts using enzymes and whole-cell biotransformation is more desirable than chemical synthesis. It is more eco-friendly and can increase the yield of desired products. In this study, we have found an enzymatic strategy of P450 enzymes for highly efficient synthesis of the 4-OH atorvastatin, which is an expensive commercial product, by using bacterial CYP102A1 peroxygenase activity with hydrogen peroxide without NADPH. We obtained a set of CYP102A1 mutants with high catalytic activity toward atorvastatin using enzyme library generation, high-throughput screening of highly active mutants, and enzymatic characterization of the mutants. In the hydrogen peroxide supported reactions, a mutant, with nine changed amino acid residues compared to a wild-type among tested mutants, showed the highest catalytic activity of atorvastatin 4-hydroxylation (1.8 min−1). This result shows that CYP102A1 can catalyze atorvastatin 4-hydroxylation by peroxide-dependent oxidation with high catalytic activity. The advantages of CYP102A1 peroxygenase activity over NADPH-supported monooxygenase activity are discussed. Taken together, we suggest that the P450 peroxygenase activity can be used to produce drugs’ metabolites for further studies of their efficacy and safety.
Modification of Nanocrystalline Porous Cu2-xSe Films during Argon Plasma Treatment
Authors: Zimin Sergey P. , Amirov Ildar I. , Vasilev Sergey V. , Fedorov Ivan S. , Mazaletskiy Leonid A. , Kim Nam-Hoon
Published: January 2021

Cu2-xSe films were deposited on Corning glass substrates by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering and annealed at 300 °C for 20 min under N2 gas ambient. The films had a thickness of 850–870 nm and a chemical composition of Cu1.75Se. The initial structure of the films was nanocrystalline with a complex architecture and pores. The investigated films were plasma treated with RF (13.56 MHz) high-density low-pressure inductively coupled argon plasma. The plasma treatment was conducted at average ion energies of 25 and 200 eV for durations of 30, 60, and 90 s. Notably, changes are evident in the surface morphology, and the chemical composition of the films changed from x = 0.25 to x = 0.10 to x = 0.00, respectively, after plasma treatment at average ion energies of 25 and 200 eV, respectively.
Absolute Quantitative Volatile Measurement from Fresh Tea Leaves and the Derived Teas Revealed Contributions of Postharvest Synthesis of Endogenous Volatiles for the Aroma Quality of Made Teas
Authors: Chen Mingjie , Guo Li , Zhou Huiwen , Guo Yaling , Zhang Yi , Lin Zhi , Sun Meng , Zeng Wei , Wu Hualing
Published: January 2021

Characteristic aroma is a well-appreciated feature contributing to tea quality. Although extensive studies have been made to investigate aroma biosynthesis and gene expressions during tea making processes, it remains unclear whether the endogenous volatile biosynthesis during postharvest tea processing contributes to the aroma quality of made tea. To critically evaluate this question, we used the same batch of fresh tea leaves and produced three different types of tea with different degrees of fermentation (green tea, oolong tea, and black tea). Total volatiles were extracted by solvent-assisted-flavor evaporation, then quantified by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector combined with response factor correction for quantitative measurement. Compared with fresh tea leaves, the volatile profiles of the made teas were dramatically altered, with significant loss for the majority of endogenous volatiles and simultaneous gain for non-endogenous volatiles. By calculation of odor-activity values, the potential volatiles contributing to the aroma characteristics of each tea type were identified. Our data suggest that postharvest synthesis of endogenous volatiles did not contribute to the aroma quality of made tea.
Numerical Analysis of the Hydrogen Dispersion Behavior in Different Directions in a Naturally Ventilated Space
Authors: Zhang Xiaolu , Wang Qiubo , Hou Xulei , Li Yuejuan , Miao Yang , Li Kun , Zhang Li
Published: January 2021

Studies on hydrogen leakage have mainly focused on the influences of location and geometrical configuration on the distribution of the hydrogen in various spaces. The present study developed a simplified model for the leakage diffusion of hydrogen in an enclosed cuboid space with two vents, at the top and at the bottom, respectively. The effect of different leakage positions on the diffusion of the hydrogen was analyzed. The results showed that when hydrogen diffused vertically from the bottom to the top of the space, the farther the leakage position was from the vent on the side wall, the more hydrogen accumulated. When the hydrogen leaked in the vertical direction from the floor, the distance between the leakage position and the bottom vent had little effect on the horizontal diffusion speed of the hydrogen at the top of the space. The diffusion speed for the leakage in the horizontal direction was faster than that in the vertical direction. When the hydrogen leaked in the horizontal direction from the side wall, the height of the leakage had little effect on the horizontal diffusion speed of the hydrogen at the top of the space. Stratification occurred for models set up in the present study whenever the envelope of 1% mole fraction, or 4% mole fraction, of hydrogen extended to the whole ceiling.
Blood Glucose Level Regression for Smartphone PPG Signals Using Machine Learning
Authors: Islam Tanvir Tazul , Ahmed Md Sajid , Hassanuzzaman Md , Bin Amir Syed Athar , Rahman Tanzilur
Published: January 2021

Diabetes is a chronic illness that affects millions of people worldwide and requires regular monitoring of a patient’s blood glucose level. Currently, blood glucose is monitored by a minimally invasive process where a small droplet of blood is extracted and passed to a glucometer—however, this process is uncomfortable for the patient. In this paper, a smartphone video-based noninvasive technique is proposed for the quantitative estimation of glucose levels in the blood. The videos are collected steadily from the tip of the subject’s finger using smartphone cameras and subsequently converted into a Photoplethysmography (PPG) signal. A Gaussian filter is applied on top of the Asymmetric Least Square (ALS) method to remove high-frequency noise, optical noise, and motion interference from the raw PPG signal. These preprocessed signals are then used for extracting signal features such as systolic and diastolic peaks, the time differences between consecutive peaks (DelT), first derivative, and second derivative peaks. Finally, the features are fed into Principal Component Regression (PCR), Partial Least Square Regression (PLS), Support Vector Regression (SVR) and Random Forest Regression (RFR) models for the prediction of glucose level. Out of the four statistical learning techniques used, the PLS model, when applied to an unbiased dataset, has the lowest standard error of prediction (SEP) at 17.02 mg/dL.
Hybrid Encoding Scheme for AMBTC Compressed Images Using Ternary Representation Technique
Authors: Chen Tung-Shou , Wu Jie , Chen Kai Sheng , Yuan Junying , Hong Wien
Published: January 2021

Absolute moment block truncated coding (AMBTC) is a lossy image compression technique aiming at low computational cost, and has been widely studied. Previous studies have investigated the performance improvement of AMBTC; however, they often over describe the details of image blocks during encoding, causing an increase in bitrate. In this paper, we propose an efficient method to improve the compression performance by classifying image blocks into flat, smooth, and complex blocks according to their complexity. Flat blocks are encoded by their block means, while smooth blocks are encoded by a pair of adjusted quantized values and an index pointing to one of the k representative bitmaps. Complex blocks are encoded by three quantized values and a ternary map obtained by a clustering algorithm. Ternary indicators are used to specify the encoding cases. In our method, the details of most blocks can be retained without significantly increasing the bitrate. Experimental results show that, compared with prior works, the proposed method achieves higher image quality at a better compression ratio for all of the test images.
Chinese Character Image Completion Using a Generative Latent Variable Model
Authors: Jo In-su , Choi Dong-bin , Park Young B.
Published: January 2021

Chinese characters in ancient books have many corrupted characters, and there are cases in which objects are mixed in the process of extracting the characters into images. To use this incomplete image as accurate data, we use image completion technology, which removes unnecessary objects and restores corrupted images. In this paper, we propose a variational autoencoder with classification (VAE-C) model. This model is characterized by using classification areas and a class activation map (CAM). Through the classification area, the data distribution is disentangled, and then the node to be adjusted is tracked using CAM. Through the latent variable, with which the determined node value is reduced, an image from which unnecessary objects have been removed is created. The VAE-C model can be utilized not only to eliminate unnecessary objects but also to restore corrupted images. By comparing the performance of removing unnecessary objects with mask regions with convolutional neural networks (Mask R-CNN), one of the prevalent object detection technologies, and also comparing the image restoration performance with the partial convolution model (PConv) and the gated convolution model (GConv), which are image inpainting technologies, our model is proven to perform excellently in terms of removing objects and restoring corrupted areas.
The Design and FPGA-Based Implementation of a Stream Cipher Based on a Secure Chaotic Generator
Authors: Dridi Fethi , El Assad Safwan , El Hadj Youssef Wajih , Machhout Mohsen , Lozi René
Published: January 2021

In this study, with an FPGA-board using VHDL, we designed a secure chaos-based stream cipher (SCbSC), and we evaluated its hardware implementation performance in terms of computational complexity and its security. The fundamental element of the system is the proposed secure pseudo-chaotic number generator (SPCNG). The architecture of the proposed SPCNG includes three first-order recursive filters, each containing a discrete chaotic map and a mixing technique using an internal pseudo-random number (PRN). The three discrete chaotic maps, namely, the 3D Chebyshev map (3D Ch), the 1D logistic map (L), and the 1D skew-tent map (S), are weakly coupled by a predefined coupling matrix M. The mixing technique combined with the weak coupling technique of the three chaotic maps allows preserving the system against side-channel attacks (SCAs). The proposed system was implemented on a Xilinx XC7Z020 PYNQ-Z2 FPGA platform. Logic resources, throughput, and cryptanalytic and statistical tests showed a good tradeoff between efficiency and security. Thus, the proposed SCbSC can be used as a secure stream cipher.
Automatic Word Spacing of Korean Using Syllable and Morpheme
Authors: Choi Jeong-Myeong , Kim Jong-Dae , Park Chan-Young , Kim Yu-Seop
Published: January 2021

In Korean, spacing is very important to understand the readability and context of sentences. In addition, in the case of natural language processing for Korean, if a sentence with an incorrect spacing is used, the structure of the sentence is changed, which affects performance. In the previous study, spacing errors were corrected using n-gram based statistical methods and morphological analyzers, and recently many studies using deep learning have been conducted. In this study, we try to solve the spacing error correction problem using both the syllable-level and morpheme-level. The proposed model uses a structure that combines the convolutional neural network layer that can learn syllable and morphological pattern information in sentences and the bidirectional long short-term memory layer that can learn forward and backward sequence information. When evaluating the performance of the proposed model, the accuracy was evaluated at the syllable-level, and also precision, recall, and f1 score were evaluated at the word-level. As a result of the experiment, it was confirmed that performance was improved from the previous study.
Evaluation of the Reaction Time and Accuracy Rate in Normal Subjects, MCI, and Dementia Using Serious Games
Authors: Chen Yen-Ting , Hou Chun-Ju , Derek Natan , Huang Shuo-Bin , Huang Min-Wei , Wang You-Yu
Published: January 2021

The main purpose of this research is to evaluate the differences in the reaction time and accuracy rate of three categories of subjects using our serious games. Thirty-seven subjects were divided into three groups: normal (n1 = 16), MCI (Mild Cognitive Impairment) (n2 = 10), and dementia—moderate-to-severe (n3 = 11) groups based on the MMSE (Mini Mental State Examination). Two serious games were designed: (1) whack-a-mole and (2) hit-the-ball. Two dependent variables, reaction time and accuracy rate, were statistically analyzed to compare elders’ performances in the games among the three groups for three levels of speed: slow, medium, and fast. There were significance differences between the normal group, the MCI group, and the moderate-to-severe dementia group in both the reaction-time and accuracy-rate analyses. We determined that the reaction times of the MCI and dementia groups were shorter compared to those of the normal group, with poorer results also observed in accuracy rate. Therefore, we conclude that our serious games have the feasibility to evaluate reaction performance and could be used in the daily lives of elders followed by clinical treatment in the future.
Sustainable Development of Concrete through Aggregates and Innovative Materials: A Review
Authors: Zamora-Castro Sergio A. , Salgado-Estrada Rolando , Sandoval-Herazo Luis Carlos , Melendez-Armenta Roberto Angel , Manzano-Huerta Erick , Yelmi-Carrillo Enriqueta , Herrera-May Agustín L.
Published: January 2021

The use of concrete in civil infrastructure is highly demanded in structural and nonstructural elements. However, the high production of concrete could lead to severe pollution in the world. This pollution can be decreased using sustainable materials mixed with cement to obtain sustainable concrete. These sustainable materials include reinforcing fibers (e.g., steel, polypropylene, carbon fibers), recycled materials (e.g., tire rubber, crushed glass, plastic, industrial waste) as well as organic and inorganic elements as concrete aggregates and reinforcement elements. The sustainable construction materials can reduce the amount constitutive elements of concrete required for civil constructions. In addition, some sustainable materials added to cement could improve some properties of the concrete, like the compressive and flexural strength of concrete structural elements. Thus, the maintenance requirements or early replacement of these structural elements could be decreased. This review presents recent investigations about the performance of different sustainable concrete types. In addition, we include the effects on the mechanical properties of the concrete caused by the incorporation of several sustainable materials. In addition, recommendations for the use and testing of sustainable concrete are reported. These materials have potential applications in the sustainable concrete infrastructure in future smart cities.
Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injury Detection Using Impedance Spectroscopy with the ONIRY Probe
Authors: Młyńczak Marcel , Rosoł Maciej , Spinelli Antonino , Dziki Adam , Wlaźlak Edyta , Surkont Grzegorz , Krzycka Magda , Pająk Paulina , Dziki Łukasz , Mik Michał , Borycka-Kiciak Katarzyna
Published: January 2021

Anal sphincter injuries occurring during natural deliveries are often a reason for severe complications, including fecal incontinence. Currently, approximately 80% of these injuries remain unrecognized. Therefore, it is crucial to focus on finding a way to diagnose such injuries as early as possible to apply the tailored treatment. This study aimed to assess the accuracy of impedance spectroscopy in the diagnostics of obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASIs) using a specially designed rectal probe called the ONIRY Probe. The protocol of the clinical trials is described at NCT03769792. Twenty women after natural delivery were enrolled in the study and divided into two groups referring to the stage of a perineal tear (Group A: 1- or 2-degrees, and Group B: 3- or 4-degrees of a perineal tear; without or with sphincter injury, respectively). The study design included three visits during which a number of diagnostic tests were performed, including impedance spectroscopy, and 3-dimensional endoanal ultrasound, anorectal manometry, and physical examination as a reference. Statistical analysis comprised raw data analysis, as well as post-processing with the Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE) method, as the output reference grade was highly imbalanced. A variety of machine learning techniques were applied for the OASI classification (≤2 vs. >2), and Wexner scale (=0 vs. >0). The best efficacies were obtained using Random Forest and k-Nearest Neighbors methods. Best accuracies were 93.3% and 99.6%, for raw and re-analyzed data, respectively, for ultrasound assessed by the OASI classification; and 79.8% and 97.0%, respectively, for clinical evaluation using the Wexner scale. Impedance spectroscopy performed using the ONIRY Probe appears to be a promising diagnostic technique for anal sphincter injury detection but requires further investigation (the next phase of the pilot clinical trial is described at NCT04181840).
An Effective D-π-A Type Donor Material Based on 4-Fluorobenzoylacetonitrile Core Unit for Bulk Heterojunction Organic Solar Cells
Authors: Alam Shabaz , Akhtar M. Shaheer , Abdullah  , Kim Eun-Bi , Shin Hyung-Shik , Ameen Sadia
Published: January 2021

In order to develop new and effective donor materials, a planar donor-π-acceptor (D-π-A) type small organic molecule (SOM), 2-(4-fluorobenzoyl)-3-(5″-hexyl-[2,2′:5′,2″-terthiophen]-5-yl) acrylonitrile, named as H3T-4-FOP, was synthesized by the reaction of 4-fluorobenzoylacetonitrile (as acceptor unit) and hexyl terthiophene (as donor unit) derivatives. Promising optical, solubility, electronic and photovoltaic properties were observed for the H3T-4-FOP SOM. Significantly, the presence of 4-fluorobenzoylacetonitrile as an acceptor unit in H3T-4-FOP SOM tuned the optical band gap to ~2.01 eV and procured the reasonable energy levels as highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of −5.27 eV and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) −3.26 eV. The synthesized H3T-4-FOP SOM was applied as a donor material to fabricate solution-processed bulk heterojunction organic solar cells (BHJ-OSCs) with an active layer of H3T-4-FOP: PC61BM (1:2, w/w) and was validated as having a good power conversion efficiency (PCE) of ~4.38%. Our studies clearly inspire for future designing of multifunctional groups containing the 4-fluorobenzoylacetonitrile based SOM for high performance BHJ-OSCs.
The Effect of Freeze-Drying on the Properties of Polish Vegetable Soups
Authors: Jakubczyk Ewa , Jaskulska Aleksandra
Published: January 2021

The aim of this study was to investigate selected physical and biochemical properties of four vegetable freeze-dried soups. The water content, water activity, pH, color parameters, antioxidant activity (EC50), total polyphenolic content of fresh tomato, pumpkin, beetroot, and cucumber, and freeze-dried soups were measured. Sensory analysis was applied to compare sensory attributes of fresh and rehydrated soups. The sorption isotherms of freeze-dried soups were obtained with the application of the static and dynamic vapor sorption (DVS) method. The application of the freeze-drying method enabled the obtaining of dry soups with a low water content of 2–3%. The drying caused a significant change of color of all soups. The redness of soups decreased after drying for the beetroot soups from +39.64 to +21.91. The lower chroma value of 25.98 and the highest total color change ΔE*ab = 36.74 were noted for freeze-dried beetroot soup. The antioxidation activity and total polyphenolic content were reduced after drying, especially for the cucumber and tomato soups. The Peleg model was selected to describe the sorption isotherms of dried soups. The sorption isotherm of freeze-dried cucumber and beetroot soups had a sigmoidal shape of type II. The shape of the moisture sorption isotherm for freeze-dried tomato and pumpkin soups corresponded more with type III isotherms. The DVS method can be used to characterize the moisture sorption isotherms of freeze-dried products.
Relationship between Physical Factors and Change of Direction Speed in Team Sports
Authors: Horníková Henrieta , Zemková Erika
Published: January 2021

The relationship between the change of direction speed (CODS) and sprint speed, jump ability, and muscle strength is well recognized. However, the strength of this relationship may depend on how the test is designed and which parameters are analyzed. This scoping review aims to: (1) map the literature that addresses the relationships between the CODS and physical fitness and performance variables in players of team sports; (2) specify the limiting factors of CODS; and (3) identify gaps in existing literature and propose future research on this topic. Altogether, 22 research studies met the defined inclusion criteria. Most studies revealed significant correlations between CODS and sprint speed, muscle strength, and jump ability. This relationship was mainly demonstrated between CODS and linear sprint speed for 30 m (r = 0.60 to 0.74), 10 m (r = 0.39 to 0.65), maximal leg strength (r = −0.51 to −0.89), particularly explosive (r = −0.44 to −0.81), and reactive strength (r = −0.37 to −0.65). However, the strength of this relationship depends on the type of CODS test, its structure (total running distance, number of changes in direction), and parameters analyzed (height, power, velocity, and relative or absolute values). The recommendation for future research is to focus on choosing the test and its parameters to be close to the fitness demands of the particular sport.
Art Funds in China: Developments and Limitations
Authors: Li Linli
Published: January 2021

This paper focuses on a type of worldwide art investment vehicle in an unexplored yet significant area: the Chinese art fund. It seeks to understand why art funds exploded in China after the 2008 financial crisis and how they have developed new features in the Chinese context. Further, it discusses the relationship between Chinese art funds and the Chinese art world. While these two groups tend to be what sociologists call “hostile worlds” in the West, my study shows that actors in the Chinese art world tend to take a pragmatic attitude toward capital. Thus, art funds face fewer social limitations in the Chinese art world than their Western counterparts. However, Chinese art funds face limitations in terms of accessibility, credibility, and liquidity. These limitations have been caused mainly by a series of regulations launched since 2013, which has primarily resulted in a decline of art funds in China.
Remarkable Classes of Almost 3-Contact Metric Manifolds
Authors: Dileo Giulia
Published: January 2021

We introduce a new class of almost 3-contact metric manifolds, called 3-(0,δ)-Sasaki manifolds. We show fundamental geometric properties of these manifolds, analyzing analogies and differences with the known classes of 3-(α,δ)-Sasaki (α≠0) and 3-δ-cosymplectic manifolds.
Antioxidant Network Based on Sulfonated Polyhydroxyalkanoate and Tannic Acid Derivative
Authors: Brelle Laura , Renard Estelle , Langlois Valerie
Published: January 2021

A novel generation of gels based on medium chain length poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate)s, mcl-PHAs, were developed by using ionic interactions. First, water soluble mcl-PHAs containing sulfonate groups were obtained by thiol-ene reaction in the presence of sodium-3-mercapto-1-ethanesulfonate. Anionic PHAs were physically crosslinked by divalent inorganic cations Ca2+, Ba2+, Mg2+ or by ammonium derivatives of gallic acid GA-N(CH3)3+ or tannic acid TA-N(CH3)3+. The ammonium derivatives were designed through the chemical modification of gallic acid GA or tannic acid TA with glycidyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (GTMA). The results clearly demonstrated that the formation of the networks depends on the nature of the cations. A low viscoelastic network having an elastic around 40 Pa is formed in the presence of Ca2+. Although the gel formation is not possible in the presence of GA-N(CH3)3+, the mechanical properties increased in the presence of TA-N(CH3)3+ with an elastic modulus G’ around 4200 Pa. The PHOSO3−/TA-N(CH3)3+ gels having antioxidant activity, due to the presence of tannic acid, remained stable for at least 5 months. Thus, the stability of these novel networks based on PHA encourage their use in the development of active biomaterials.
Expression and Possible Role of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor ε Subunit (AChRe) in Mouse Sperm
Authors: Makino Yusei , Hiradate Yuuki , Umezu Kohei , Hara Kenshiro , Tanemura Kentaro
Published: January 2021

The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) is one of the receptors of acetylcholine (ACh), and nicotine (NIC) acts as an agonist of this receptor. Among the nAChR subunits, we found that the ε subunit (AChRe) had approximately 10 to 1000 times higher level of mRNA expression in mouse testes than the other subunits. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the expression and localization of AChRe in the testes and spermatozoa of mice and clarify the effect of AChRe on sperm function. Immunocytochemistry showed that AChRe was expressed in the murine testes and spermatozoa. We found that AChRe was localized only in elongated spermatids from step 12 onwards in the testes. In spermatozoa, AChRe was localized in the head, especially in the anterior region of the acrosome, but only approximately 50% of spermatozoa showed this immunoreactivity. Additionally, we analyzed the effects of ACh and NIC on sperm acrosome reaction (AR) and found that both ACh and NIC suppressed the AR rate, which was restored by an AChRe-specific antagonist. These results suggest that AChRe may be a regulator of mammalian sperm AR.
Inflammatory Mediators and Pain in Endometriosis: A Systematic Review
Authors: Machairiotis Nikolaos , Vasilakaki Sofia , Thomakos Nikolaos
Published: January 2021

Background: pain is one of the main symptoms of endometriosis and it has a deleterious effect on a patients’ personal and social life. To date, the clinical management of pain includes prolonged medication use and, in some cases, surgery, both of which are disruptive events for patients. Hence, there is an urgency for the development of a sufficient non-invasive medical treatment. Inflammation is one of the causative factors of pain in endometriosis. It is well established that inflammatory mediators promote angiogenesis and interact with the sensory neurons inducing the pain signal; the threshold of pain varies and it depends on the state and location of the disease. The inhibition of inflammatory mediators’ synthesis might offer a novel and effective treatment of the pain that is caused by inflammation in endometriosis. Objectives: patients with endometriosis experience chronic pelvic pain, which is moderate to severe in terms of intensity. The objective of this systematic review is to highlight the inflammatory mediators that contribute to the induction of pain in endometriosis and present their biological mechanism of action. In addition, the authors aim to identify new targets for the development of novel treatments for chronic pelvic pain in patients with endometriosis. Data Sources: three databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Europe PMC) were searched in order to retrieve articles with the keywords ‘inflammation, pain, and endometriosis’ between the review period of 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2020. This review has been registered with PROSPERO (registry number: CRD42020171018). Eligibility Criteria: only original articles that presented the regulation of inflammatory mediators and related biological molecules in endometriosis and their contribution in the stimulation of pain signal were included. Data Extraction: two authors independently extracted data from articles, using predefined criteria. Results: the database search yielded 1871 articles, which were narrowed down to 56 relevant articles of interest according to the eligibility criteria. Conclusions: inflammatory factors that promote angiogenesis and neuroangiogenesis are promising targets for the treatment of inflammatory pain in endometriosis. Specifically, CXC chemokine family, chemokine fractalkine, and PGE2 have an active role in the induction of pain. Additionally, IL-1β appears to be the primary interleukin (IL), which stimulates the majority of the inflammatory factors that contribute to neuroangiogenesis along with IL-6. Finally, the role of Ninj1 and BDNF proteins needs further investigation.
Molecular Imaging of Immunity and Inflammation and Its Impact on Precision Medicine
Authors: Wildgruber Moritz , Eisenblätter Michel
Published: January 2021

Biomedical research has, over the past decades, found components of the immune system at the functional center of almost every pathophysiological condition and disease [...]
Treatment Strategies Considering Micro-Environment and Clonal Evolution in Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Suzuki Kazuhito , Nishiwaki Kaichi , Yano Shingo
Published: January 2021

Multiple myeloma is an uncurable hematological malignancy because of obtained drug resistance. Microenvironment and clonal evolution induce myeloma cells to develop de novo and acquired drug resistance, respectively. Cell adhesion-mediated drug resistance, which is induced by the interaction between myeloma and bone marrow stromal cells, and soluble factor-mediated drug resistance, which is induced by cytokines and growth factors, are two types of de novo drug resistance. The microenvironment, including conditions such as hypoxia, vascular and endosteal niches, contributes toward de novo drug resistance. Clonal evolution was associated with acquired drug resistance and classified as branching, linear, and neutral evolutions. The branching evolution is dependent on the microenvironment and escape of immunological surveillance while the linear and neutral evolution is independent of the microenvironment and associated with aggressive recurrence and poor prognosis. Proteasome inhibitors (PIs), immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs), monoclonal antibody agents (MoAbs), and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) have improved prognosis of myeloma via improvement of the microenvironment. The initial treatment plays the most important role considering de novo and acquired drug resistance and should contain PIs, IMIDs, MoAb and ASCT. This review summarizes the role of anti-myeloma agents for microenvironment and clonal evolution and treatment strategies to overcome drug resistance.
The Role of Tumor Microenvironment in Multiple Myeloma Development and Progression
Authors: García-Ortiz Almudena , Rodríguez-García Yaiza , Encinas Jessica , Maroto-Martín Elena , Castellano Eva , Teixidó Joaquín , Martínez-López Joaquín
Published: January 2021

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematologic cancer characterized by clonal proliferation of plasma cells in the bone marrow (BM). The progression, from the early stages of the disease as monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM) to MM and occasionally extramedullary disease, is drastically affected by the tumor microenvironment (TME). Soluble factors and direct cell–cell interactions regulate MM plasma cell trafficking and homing to the BM niche. Mesenchymal stromal cells, osteoclasts, osteoblasts, myeloid and lymphoid cells present in the BM create a unique milieu that favors MM plasma cell immune evasion and promotes disease progression. Moreover, TME is implicated in malignant cell protection against anti-tumor therapy. This review describes the main cellular and non-cellular components located in the BM, which condition the immunosuppressive environment and lead the MM establishment and progression.
The Merkel Cell Polyomavirus T Antigens Function as Tumor Promoters in Murine Skin
Authors: Spurgeon Megan E. , Liem Amy , Buehler Darya , Cheng Jingwei , DeCaprio James A. , Lambert Paul F.
Published: January 2021

Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) causes the majority of human Merkel cell carcinomas (MCC), a rare but highly aggressive form of skin cancer. We recently reported that constitutive expression of MCC tumor-derived MCPyV tumor (T) antigens in the skin of transgenic mice leads to hyperplasia, increased proliferation, and spontaneous epithelial tumor development. We sought to evaluate how the MCPyV T antigens contribute to tumor formation in vivo using a classical, multi-stage model for squamous cell carcinoma development. In this model, two chemical carcinogens, DMBA and TPA, contribute to two distinct phases of carcinogenesis—initiation and promotion, respectively—that are required for tumors to develop. By treating the MCPyV transgenic mice with each chemical carcinogen, we determined how the viral oncogenes contributed to carcinogenesis. We observed that the MCPyV T antigens synergized with the tumor initiator DMBA, but not with the tumor promoter TPA, cause tumors. Therefore, the MCPyV tumor antigens function primarily as tumor promoters, similar to that seen with human papillomavirus (HPV) oncoproteins. These studies provide insight into the role of MCPyV T antigen expression in tumor formation in vivo and contribute to our understanding of how MCPyV may function as a human DNA tumor virus.